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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
In the report’s telling, by September 2028, investors have collectively stopped wanting to buy American debt at prevailing yields.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
All those big companies from all elements of healthcare have reached out wanting to work with us.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Whereas Schafer was a polemicist, wanting to impose his ideas onto society, Lockwood is interested in a personal symbiosis with nature, beginning with the humble belief that one is open to change.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
His previous comments to Jon Gruden about not wanting an agent to get a percentage of his deals were in reference to his college career -- not his NFL representation.
—Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
An insulated delivery bag or backpack Notably, where freelancers wanting to deliver with a car also need auto insurance and a driver’s license, these requirements are waived for those delivering on two wheels.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
At that time, the other co-founders were sincerely questioning both Musk and Altman’s motivations for wanting to become OpenAI’s CEO.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026
The book picks up after Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie) have been together for 10 years, with the latter wanting to go public with their relationship.
—Shyla Watson, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
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
The village wanting to put its electrical and cable lines underground brought the total to a hefty $90 million.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
In the report’s telling, by September 2028, investors have collectively stopped wanting to buy American debt at prevailing yields.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
All those big companies from all elements of healthcare have reached out wanting to work with us.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Whereas Schafer was a polemicist, wanting to impose his ideas onto society, Lockwood is interested in a personal symbiosis with nature, beginning with the humble belief that one is open to change.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
His previous comments to Jon Gruden about not wanting an agent to get a percentage of his deals were in reference to his college career -- not his NFL representation.
—Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
An insulated delivery bag or backpack Notably, where freelancers wanting to deliver with a car also need auto insurance and a driver’s license, these requirements are waived for those delivering on two wheels.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
At that time, the other co-founders were sincerely questioning both Musk and Altman’s motivations for wanting to become OpenAI’s CEO.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026
The book picks up after Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie) have been together for 10 years, with the latter wanting to go public with their relationship.
—Shyla Watson, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wanting
Adjective
-
Perhaps the owner’s unexpected absence was an indication that the rumors about my imminent demise were wrong and that things were not so certain.—
Saïd Sayrafiezadeh,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
After a week where everything that could have gone wrong did and the noise surrounding the club threatened to swallow the team whole, the Red Sox finally broke their four-game slide in grand fashion and got to enjoy a nice, drama-free win.—
Mac Cerullo,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
If your yard is a bit lacking in colorful birds, adding a feeder can help attract all sorts of them.—
Brittany VanDerBill,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Apr. 2026
-
But the upper frequencies are still slightly lacking.—
Mark Knapp,
PC Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But the on-loan Manchester United forward is not Flick’s first choice on the wing when Raphinha, who is still out with a hamstring injury, and Yamal are absent.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Orlando has consistently ranked among the top cities with the most severe shortages of affordable housing since the report began in 2019, only absent from the top 10 in 2021.—
Ryan von Weller,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
Preposition
-
The casting has always managed to feel diverse, but in a guileless, incidental way, giving the appearance of multicultural inclusion without espousing any explicitly progressive viewpoints.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
-
And the event went off without a security hitch, which was likely reassuring to members of Congress shaken by Saturday night's press dinner incident.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For vegan and vegetarian folks, craving juicy, tender tacos or a melt-in-your-mouth salmon sushi dish can feel agonizing.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
They’re hooked and craving more.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Set one clear agreement, confirm who’s responsible, and follow through so everything stays consistent without needing to be reset later.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
-
By that point, with the Wild desperately needing a goal from somebody with their season on the line, coach John Hynes had loaded up the top line with Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek and Boldy.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Shu can’t stop wishing aloud that her friends’ good fortune was actually her own.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Equity cannot mean handing someone a license and wishing them luck in a billion-dollar industry.—
Sonya M. Harper,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After six brutal years of struggling to stay afloat, movie theater owners and operators arrived in Las Vegas for CinemaCon finally liking their odds of survival.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Henley has struggled on approach since the American Express, which is the only thing holding me back from really liking him this week.—
Dennis Esser,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wanting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wanting. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
