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
Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
The Panthers went into those games not just wanting to win, but to bury the opposition.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Feb. 2026
Several people immediately approached him, all wanting to take a photo with the club president.
—Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Users commented tagging the boy band, wanting the members to make the man's dream come true with a future Super Bowl performance.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Feb. 2026
There’s wanting and liking—and then there’s needing.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Choosing a hue that will never go out of style, rather than opting for what's on trend, will prevent you from wanting to change your kitchen cabinet paint color every few years.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 9 Feb. 2026
Mai sings in a fake-aloof tone about not wanting to get her hopes up, but the beat’s rickety construction—808s, snaps, live drums, and an urgently ticking clock—undermines her facade.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 9 Feb. 2026
And as a result, a lot of people are lining up and wanting to do that.
—Sarah Whitten,sara Salinas,sarah Jackson,leslie Josephs, CNBC, 8 Feb. 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
Blenkarn and Lim also spoke in an interview prior to the show of wanting to re-create the sensation of gathering around a television and passing a controller back and forth among family or friends while offering commentary on someone’s play style.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
The Panthers went into those games not just wanting to win, but to bury the opposition.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Feb. 2026
Several people immediately approached him, all wanting to take a photo with the club president.
—Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Users commented tagging the boy band, wanting the members to make the man's dream come true with a future Super Bowl performance.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Feb. 2026
There’s wanting and liking—and then there’s needing.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Choosing a hue that will never go out of style, rather than opting for what's on trend, will prevent you from wanting to change your kitchen cabinet paint color every few years.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 9 Feb. 2026
Mai sings in a fake-aloof tone about not wanting to get her hopes up, but the beat’s rickety construction—808s, snaps, live drums, and an urgently ticking clock—undermines her facade.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 9 Feb. 2026
And as a result, a lot of people are lining up and wanting to do that.
—Sarah Whitten,sara Salinas,sarah Jackson,leslie Josephs, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wanting
Adjective
-
Nichols and Vann concede that handing the cup with the apple juice and urine mix to Smith’s son to drink was wrong and Vann has expressed regret for that.—
Jane Harper,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The crash involved a wrong-way driver on eastbound I-84, according to an Idaho State Police Facebook post.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Vučević is also a good defensive rebounder, an area in which the Celtics are greatly lacking.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Unfortunately, that correspondence is wholly lacking.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
What has been largely absent from the conversation is a clear assessment of how such policies would affect small businesses and underserved communities.—
Julio Fuentes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The one notably absent figure was Greg Bovino, the Border Patrol commander Noem sent storming into Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, and other cities, turning him into the face of the rolling crackdown.—
Nick Miroff,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2026
Preposition
-
If convicted as charged, Walton faces life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Their goal was to enable faster decision-making without completely redesigning existing camera systems.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At a time when audiences are craving bold voices, these directors have delivered films that challenge, inspire and elevate cinema.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The last four years have been bountiful for a franchise craving a draft-weekend turnaround.—
Robert Mays,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Without needing to improve, Mathilde Gremaud takes a victory lap down the slope wearing the Swiss flag like a cape around her neck.—
Isabel Yip,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
-
There’s wanting and liking—and then there’s needing.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Those wishing to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year might want to be aware that the romantic holiday falls one day after Friday the 13th.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Harris and those wishing to speak on it had to wait over five hours to provide their testimony.—
Donna Frye,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
To top things off, it’s almost been a month since our conversation about the guy liking me.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The answer is, not very, although at least liking lesbians enough to laugh with and not at their culture surely counts as a prerequisite.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wanting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wanting. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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