1
as in wrong
falling short of a standard
we tried her cooking and found it to be very wanting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in absent
not present or in evidence
grass is almost entirely wanting in that arid wasteland
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in craving
to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy
I want a new car so badly!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in needing
to have as a requirement
that stray cat wants food and a clean place to sleep
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in wishing
to see fit
do what you want
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in liking
to wish to have
I want some ice cream for dessert, please
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wanting
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
Esther Zuckerman, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Rumors swirled this summer about SiriusXM not wanting to renew Stern’s contract, amid his high price tag and his less frequent broadcasting schedule.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
For those wanting to maintain hydration and reduce frizz, Jamerson suggests rod sets, flat twists, and low-tension sew-ins.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 4 Sep. 2025
During the season, Ainsley mentions wanting to attend Texas Tech and studying philanthropy.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2025
Those wanting a variety selection of Graeter's ice cream can purchase the Warrior Pack available online throughout September, and a portion of all proceeds will be donated to The Cure Starts Now.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 3 Sep. 2025
Nearly 30 percent of kids aged 8 to 12 list YouTuber as their top career choice, more than triple the percentage wanting to be astronauts.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Obviously, there are offers that followed… That felt like the right thing to do, the right amount of shows, the right places to do them, and leave them wanting more.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
And after the Tigers' three-game sweep at the hands of the Athletics, this series against the second-place Royals has become somewhat important, with the Tigers wanting to nail down their first division title since 2014.
—Christian Romo, Freep.com, 30 Aug. 2025
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
Michôd says that Sweeney was initially tentative about Martin's involvement, wanting to protect her own creative space, but opened up upon realizing that Martin wasn't going to try and control her performance.
—Esther Zuckerman, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Rumors swirled this summer about SiriusXM not wanting to renew Stern’s contract, amid his high price tag and his less frequent broadcasting schedule.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
For those wanting to maintain hydration and reduce frizz, Jamerson suggests rod sets, flat twists, and low-tension sew-ins.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 4 Sep. 2025
During the season, Ainsley mentions wanting to attend Texas Tech and studying philanthropy.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2025
Those wanting a variety selection of Graeter's ice cream can purchase the Warrior Pack available online throughout September, and a portion of all proceeds will be donated to The Cure Starts Now.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 3 Sep. 2025
Nearly 30 percent of kids aged 8 to 12 list YouTuber as their top career choice, more than triple the percentage wanting to be astronauts.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Obviously, there are offers that followed… That felt like the right thing to do, the right amount of shows, the right places to do them, and leave them wanting more.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
And after the Tigers' three-game sweep at the hands of the Athletics, this series against the second-place Royals has become somewhat important, with the Tigers wanting to nail down their first division title since 2014.
—Christian Romo, Freep.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wanting
Adjective
-
Parasite The first non-English language film to win a Best Picture Oscar, Bong Joon-ho's Parasite centers on the Kims, who live on the wrong side of the tracks in Seoul, South Korea.—
Emy LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Joveljic stepped up and placed the penalty kick into his right-hand corner, while goalkeeper Brad Stuver dove the wrong way.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
That is not to say that his coverage abilities are in any way lacking, but the Jaguars might see more value in Hunter catching passes to start.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
-
It can be used to crudely express boredom, annoyance or to signal that something is self-indulgent or lacking purpose.—
Sofi Zeman
August 8,
Kansas City Star,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
And in Longo’s image, the subtext is the absent laborer.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
6 Sep. 2025
-
If students were not in class, they would be marked absent but would be excused if a parent called them out.—
Alec Johnson,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Preposition
-
When isolated statistics are presented without context in the media, there is every reason to conclude that data does not offer anything valuable to the conversation.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Most people get a sufficient amount of this key vitamin through their diets alone—biotin can be found in beef liver and eggs, and for those without a biotin deficiency, biotin is unlikely to help.—
Brianna Peters,
Vogue,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Clients are gravitating towards cleaner, more elevated tailoring — whether in full suits or styled down with denim — while still craving that distinctive twist.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
2 Sep. 2025
-
That’s with a supply of originals like Apple’s F1 and New Line’s Zack Cregger title Weapons, the reboot of DC Studios’ Superman, and a horror sequel a generation was craving in Final Destination Bloodlines, the highest-grossing title in the franchise ($138M domestic/$301M worldwide).—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
With these businesses utilizing the space along with Mama’s Boy Salsa, Koncki said his increase in production means needing more days to work.—
Erik S. Hanley,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
For developers needing faster processing, the system supports parallel inference across multiple GPUs using the xDiT framework.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
King Charles and Prince Harry have been taking steps towards reconciliation, but everyone understands that, after the issues the two have had, ending their feud isn’t just a matter of wishing it.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
3 Sep. 2025
-
So happy for you both and wishing you all the happiness in the world!—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Not keke not liking the gays Chile !—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Too inconsistent for Andoni Iraola’s liking, only averaging a goal or assist every 175 minutes in all competitions last season, his talent isn’t in doubt, but can Keith Andrews turn Brentford’s record signing into a top-level Premier League player?—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wanting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wanting. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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