Synonyms of wants

wants 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of want

1

as in craves

to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy

I want a new car so badly!

Synonyms & Similar Words

• craves
• desires
• enjoys
• loves
• prefers
• likes
• covets
• wishes (for)
• pants (after)
• dies (for)
• thirsts (for)
• lusts (for or after)
• yearns (for)
• sighs (for)
• itches (for)
• longs (for)
• hungers (for)
• hankers (for or after)
• pines (for)
• desiderates
• salivates (for)
• aches (for)
• admires
• relishes
• sets one's heart on
• joneses (for)
• yens (for)
• repines (for)
• adores
• spoils (for)
• fancies
• appreciates
• favors
• delights (in)
• grooves (on)
• revels (in)
• values
• cherishes
• digs
• treasures
• prizes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hates
• despises
• loathes
• abhors
• refuses
• detests
• rejects
• declines
• abominates
• spurns
• execrates

2

as in needs

to have as a requirement

that stray cat wants food and a clean place to sleep

Synonyms & Similar Words

• needs
• requires
• takes
• demands
• involves
• claims
• necessitates
• calls for
• challenges
• warrants
• asks
• entails
• begs
• bears
• insists
• lacks
• stipulates
• cries (for)
• hurts (for)
• enjoins
• clamors (for)
• presses
• exacts
• commands
• quests

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• has
• holds
• owns
• possesses

3

as in wishes

to see fit

do what you want

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wishes
• pleases
• chooses
• likes
• desires
• wills
• craves
• covets
• fancies
• pants (after)
• decides
• dies (for)
• yearns (for)
• sighs (for)
• itches (for)
• longs (for)
• hungers (for)
• aches (for)
• thirsts (for)
• resolves
• lusts (for or after)
• determines
• hankers (for)
• pines (for)
• repines (for)

4

as in likes

to wish to have

I want some ice cream for dessert, please

Synonyms & Similar Words

• likes
• enjoys
• loves
• feels like
• fancies
• welcomes
• relishes
• desires
• craves
• cares (for)
• delights (in)
• covets
• adores
• wishes (for)
• revels (in)
• dies (for)
• digs
• grooves (on)
• yearns (for)
• hankers (for or after)

wants

2 of 2

noun

plural of want

1

as in lacks

a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number

there's a notable want of teachers in that rural school district

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lacks
• shortages
• deficiencies
• deficits
• inadequacies
• insufficiencies
• needs
• droughts
• absences
• scarcities
• lacunae
• crunches
• famines
• pinches
• failures
• undersupplies
• poverties
• paucities
• dearths
• necessities
• omissions
• privations

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sufficiencies
• adequacies
• amplitudes
• plenties
• plenitudes
• abundances
• wealths
• surpluses
• excesses
• opulences
• surfeits
• oversupplies
• overabundances

2

as in weaknesses

a defect in character

she's well-meaning and kind, but her besetting want is a complete lack of tact

Synonyms & Similar Words

• weaknesses
• faults
• sins
• shortcomings
• failings
• deficiencies
• foibles
• feet of clay
• frailties
• demerits
• vices
• flaws
• derelictions
• evils
• imperfections
• soft spots
• stains
• spots
• blots
• blemishes
• minuses
• corruptions
• depravities
• nits
• immoralities
• Achilles' heels

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• merits
• virtues
• perfections
• excellences
• moralities
• rectitudes
• probities
• integrities

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wants

Verb

Tinderholt wants to lower property taxes, fully fund law enforcement, audit the budget, grow the economy and protect election integrity. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026

Underdog wants to give you even more joy with an offer to play $5 on the game and earn a $10 bonus bet. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

But not everyone wants to be up close and personal the with the IRL frights of a haunted house or spooky corn maze. — Ayesha Rascoe, NPR, 18 Oct. 2026

If UConn wants to play under the bright lights of big-time football, look the part! — Eric Womack, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

That’s the sort of publicity no university wants and no amount of money can undo. — Jens Ludwig, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

And Commissioner Kelly Martinez Semrad wants to know why UCF was allowed to revise and resubmit its proposal (apparently after the task force had completed its work) when other groups that had been rejected were not given the same opportunity. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026

Tucked away on the Justice Department’s fifth floor, the two dozen or so lawyers at the OLC are charged with assessing the legality of actions the executive branch wants to take, especially those that are novel or likely to be contentious. — Perry Stein, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026

That no longer seems to be what anyone wants to attempt in city government. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026

Noun

By the end, Bobby begins to have his own wants, curiosities and desires, Luster said — all filtered through a desperation to help and connect with Dina. — Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Decorating any room can be a challenge when your wants and budget don’t align. — Megan McCarty, The Spruce, 12 Oct. 2026

One common framework is the 50/30/20 budget, which reserves a share of take-home pay for wants after needs, savings and debt repayment. — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also recommends creating a weekly or monthly spending limit for wants based on your own spending patterns. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026

Put yourself in the perspective of your prospective customer, and create a campaign that taps into their desires and their fears, their wants and their needs. — Ivan Doruda, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Managing a client’s emotional wants and needs throughout the home-buying or -selling process is critical and best left to someone with a prefrontal cortex. — Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2026

First there’s Iya Segi (Iyabo Ojo), the authority in the house, to whom everyone except the patriarch must bow; the other women must seek her approval for their wants and needs. — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026

From the dark of an empty movie theater, or over clips of favorite movies, Pearson speaks of seeing his own wants or challenges reflected in characters like Buzz Lightyear or Forrest Gump or Elle Woods. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026