Synonyms of wanting

wanting 1 of 3

adjective

ˈwän-tiŋ 

1

as in wrong

falling short of a standard

we tried her cooking and found it to be very wanting

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wrong
• unacceptable
• poor
• lame
• bad
• deficient
• lacking
• off
• flawed
• ill
• horrible
• pathetic
• terrible
• disastrous
• bastard
• awful
• from hunger
• sour
• unsatisfactory
• inferior
• wretched
• suboptimal
• bush
• crummy
• substandard
• brutal
• inadequate
• punk
• dreadful
• insufficient
• subpar
• lousy
• short
• wack
• dissatisfactory
• defective
• rotten
• paltry
• useless
• below par
• miserable
• worthless
• gross
• bum
• lesser
• detestable
• deplorable
• spare
• common
• unspeakable
• stinky
• faulty
• damnable
• bush-league
• mean
• atrocious
• abysmal
• crappy
• sucky
• flagrant
• mediocre
• vile
• shoddy
• gnarly
• horrendous
• egregious
• low-grade
• abominable
• trashy
• cheesy
• low-rent
• scanty
• bitchin'
• fake
• execrable
• skimpy
• reprehensible
• shabby
• second-rate
• stingy
• coarse
• sleazy
• valueless
• junky
• odious
• miserly
• meager
• skimp
• cut-rate
• counterfeit
• scurrilous
• phony
• rubbishy
• sham
• villainous
• miscreant

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adequate
• satisfactory
• acceptable
• standard
• all right
• fine
• decent
• great
• OK
• perfect
• keen
• better
• classical
• sufficient
• excellent
• respectable
• choice
• tolerable
• classic
• mean
• prime
• wonderful
• special
• passable
• superior
• top
• divine
• splendid
• neat
• grand
• fancy
• par excellence
• terrific
• superb
• banner
• noble
• sensational
• marvelous
• first-class
• swell
• premium
• fabulous
• heavenly
• slick
• boss
• unsurpassed
• superlative
• exceptional
• average
• sterling
• stellar
• capital
• dandy
• suitable
• minimal
• useful
• worthy
• nifty
• A1
• fair
• high-grade
• mediocre
• first-rate
• borderline
• middling
• top-notch
• groovy
• satisfying
• bang-up
• gratifying
• tip-top
• high-test
• supernal
• crackerjack
• jim-dandy
• so-so
• unexceptional

2

as in lacking

not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need

at this time of year food for many wild animals is wanting

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lacking
• insufficient
• low
• scarce
• inadequate
• short
• shy
• deficient
• unacceptable
• lean
• spare
• unsatisfactory
• poor
• sparse
• scant
• substandard
• minimum
• small
• scanty
• light
• skimpy
• stingy
• bare
• mere
• skimp
• meager
• slender
• slight
• slim
• hand-to-mouth

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• enough
• sufficient
• adequate
• ample
• generous
• liberal
• abundant
• plentiful
• copious
• bountiful
• enlarged
• bounteous
• expanded
• satisfactory
• plenteous
• supplemented
• overflowing
• large
• plenitudinous
• rich
• considerable
• tolerable
• substantial
• lavish
• big
• sizable
• teeming
• super
• abounding
• jumbo
• hefty
• luxuriant
• oversize
• largish
• king-size

3

as in absent

not present or in evidence

grass is almost entirely wanting in that arid wasteland

Synonyms & Similar Words

• absent
• lacking
• missing
• lost
• extinct
• nonexistent
• vanished
• done
• over
• departed
• insufficient
• inadequate
• finished
• expired
• obsolete
• sparse
• dead
• scarce
• perished
• rare
• defunct
• lapsed
• uncommon
• passé

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• present
• active
• alive
• going
• current
• living
• existent
• thriving
• prevailing
• common
• animate
• prevalent
• obvious
• apparent
• evident
• plain
• conspicuous
• uncanceled

wanting

2 of 3

preposition

as in without

not having

a mitten wanting its mate

Synonyms & Similar Words

• without
• absent
• sans
• minus

wanting

3 of 3

verb

present participle of want

1

as in craving

to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy

I want a new car so badly!

Synonyms & Similar Words

• craving
• desiring
• enjoying
• dying (for)
• coveting
• preferring
• wishing (for)
• loving
• liking
• yearning (for)
• itching (for)
• panting (after)
• longing (for)
• sighing (for)
• hankering (for or after)
• hungering (for)
• thirsting (for)
• pining (for)
• lusting (for or after)
• aching (for)
• salivating (for)
• repining (for)
• desiderating
• admiring
• jonesing (for)
• relishing
• setting one's heart on
• yenning (for)
• fancying
• spoiling (for)
• digging
• valuing
• grooving (on)
• favoring
• appreciating
• adoring
• delighting (in)
• reveling (in)
• cherishing
• treasuring
• prizing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hating
• despising
• refusing
• loathing
• detesting
• abhorring
• rejecting
• declining
• execrating
• abominating
• spurning

2

as in needing

to have as a requirement

that stray cat wants food and a clean place to sleep

Synonyms & Similar Words

• needing
• requiring
• taking
• demanding
• involving
• claiming
• necessitating
• challenging
• calling for
• warranting
• asking
• begging
• bearing
• lacking
• insisting
• entailing
• crying (for)
• hurting (for)
• clamoring (for)
• enjoining
• pressing
• commanding
• stipulating
• questing
• exacting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• having
• holding
• possessing
• owning

3

as in wishing

to see fit

do what you want

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wishing
• pleasing
• choosing
• liking
• desiring
• willing
• craving
• fancying
• dying (for)
• coveting
• yearning (for)
• itching (for)
• panting (after)
• longing (for)
• sighing (for)
• aching (for)
• thirsting (for)
• pining (for)
• hungering (for)
• hankering (for)
• deciding
• resolving
• lusting (for or after)
• repining (for)
• determining

4

as in liking

to wish to have

I want some ice cream for dessert, please

Synonyms & Similar Words

• liking
• enjoying
• loving
• feeling like
• desiring
• welcoming
• caring (for)
• fancying
• craving
• relishing
• digging
• dying (for)
• wishing (for)
• yearning (for)
• delighting (in)
• grooving (on)
• reveling (in)
• coveting
• adoring
• hankering (for or after)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wanting

Adjective

Verdon demanded much of herself and of others, in her relationships, in her work, and Williams captured that hunger, along with the vulnerability that so much wanting lays bare. — Susan Dominus Susan Dominus Photographs By Luis Alberto Rodriguez Styled By Charlotte Collet Nick Haramis Photographs By Lise Sarfati Styled By Suzanne Koller Sasha Weiss Photographs By Justin French Adam Bradley Photographs By D’angelo Lovell Williams Styled By Ian Bradley, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2022

Maybe our poor and wanting selves are our only authentic ones, and all others performances of convenience or necessity. — Rafia Zakaria, The New Republic, 5 May 2022

Don’t let your husband convince you that being needy and wanting affection are the same thing. — Annie Lane, oregonlive, 19 Nov. 2021

Lucero really has nowhere else to go but up after a subpar performance against a wanting pass defense and has the talent and poise to lead the offense in Tyler Johnston’s absence. — Evan Dudley, al, 29 Oct. 2020

Verb

Beyond wanting reform of existing religious options, these various sects differed greatly from each other. — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026

Romantic and financial motive Prosecutors have focused on Flynn’s romantic and financial motive for wanting to kill his wife and get away with it. — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026

At this point in TV history, audiences had grown jaded by the monster-of-the-week style that every show used and abused, wanting more depth to their programming. — Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 26 Sep. 2026

Basner recalled eagerly wanting to meet Zeller, having been a fan of his work both on stage and screen for years. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026

The team also drew inspiration from the 1930s salons in Paris, wanting the area to be brimming with conversation, culture, and more across its four decks. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 25 Sep. 2026

Monnier credited this enthusiasm to family offices wanting not only more control over their PE portfolios but also a way to engage heirs in the family office. — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026

If a ticket is purchased to listen to an entertainer sing songs, that does not extend to wanting to hear the entertainer share personal political or religious beliefs. — Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2026

She can’t be faulted, then, for not wanting to take artistic advice from Stan Twitter. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2026