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
Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
Plavsic — hailing from Urban Decay Cosmetics — launched Ilia in 2011, wanting to fill the white space in contemporary beauty.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 June 2026
And despite not wanting kids, Cox is still focused on breaking that chain.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 9 June 2026
For those wanting more height, this 3-inch wedge offers the same memory foam comfort and adjustable fit in a taller silhouette.
—Amanda Eyre Ward, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026
While several teams, including the Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, and New Orleans Pelicans, have all expressed legitimate interest, Brown has yet to make any public statements about wanting to leave Boston.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 8 June 2026
Her half-sister, Mea Stone, also shared that Bettina had been wanting to get married for years.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 8 June 2026
Really not wanting to engage with, like, feelings and emotions.
—ABC News, 7 June 2026
The past few seasons have all been about Amanda wanting to open up and find her own voice, but here her voice is once again getting lost in the roar of someone else.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 3 June 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
Suzuki is a young beatnik of Greenwich Village, a moral, sharp-witted kid wanting a place where children can be taken seriously, free to manage their own affairs.
—Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
Plavsic — hailing from Urban Decay Cosmetics — launched Ilia in 2011, wanting to fill the white space in contemporary beauty.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 June 2026
And despite not wanting kids, Cox is still focused on breaking that chain.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 9 June 2026
For those wanting more height, this 3-inch wedge offers the same memory foam comfort and adjustable fit in a taller silhouette.
—Amanda Eyre Ward, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026
While several teams, including the Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, and New Orleans Pelicans, have all expressed legitimate interest, Brown has yet to make any public statements about wanting to leave Boston.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 8 June 2026
Her half-sister, Mea Stone, also shared that Bettina had been wanting to get married for years.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 8 June 2026
Really not wanting to engage with, like, feelings and emotions.
—ABC News, 7 June 2026
The past few seasons have all been about Amanda wanting to open up and find her own voice, but here her voice is once again getting lost in the roar of someone else.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wanting
Adjective
-
Wirskye then asked who was wrong that day.—
Dawn White,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
-
Lauren McCormick, a spokeswoman for travel insurance provider Squaremouth, says your phone is the most efficient tool for protecting your travel investment if things go wrong.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Maresca’s raw qualifications, however, are somewhat lacking.—
Graham Ruthven,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
Not just any type of bus, but a marshrutka—a crowded, rumbling, claustrophobic Soviet holdover minibus, solidly built with steel girding and equally lacking in shock absorbers and seat padding.—
Irene Zabytko
May 7,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The letter writer was 20, reeling and absent for mom’s final days.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
8 June 2026
-
John Cohen, a former senior Homeland Security official who has been briefing state leaders before the matches, said the government was largely absent from planning meetings last year and did not begin sharing threat intelligence with host regions until recently.—
Jake Offenhartz,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
Preposition
-
She was being held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on June 30.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
-
Nick Reiner has been held in Los Angeles County jail without bail since then on two counts of capital murder.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
While the crowd skews young, the hotel also attracts business travelers craving a post-conference buzz.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
After a few long years of touring behind that record, she felt burnt out—and by the time COVID shut down Melbourne’s music scene, Vandal was craving disconnection, a pull to go offline.—
Erica Campbell,
Pitchfork,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Both of those teams won championships, the Bulls needing six games to oust the Phoenix Suns, the Rockets going home after winning those first two games in Orlando and sweeping the Magic.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
-
Others watch their kids go from needing a pair of shin guards to hauling around an entire bag of equipment just to play soccer.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Trump continued ranting as Welker tried to fit in more questions about the weaponization fund, but the president said he was done with the interview, thanking Welker for the time and wishing her a good day before walking away.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
7 June 2026
-
In fact, we were not involved in this one, even though Cannes was naturally chosen as a sounding board, because this is where the debate would receive strong attention — Cannes always offers an exceptional platform to those wishing to bring an issue into the public sphere.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
They are born, sometimes, just from not liking each other.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
28 May 2026
-
One man’s modernity is, of course, another’s degradation, and, as dinner was served, the conversation turned to such recent innovations as ghost runners, pitch clocks, and robot umps, none of them to Murray’s liking.—
Ben McGrath,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wanting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wanting. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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