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

Well, the dog died, and now Lauren wants to take bereavement leave. —Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026

Now, Achane likely wants to get paid, something Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan explained will likely have to wait considering the current cap restraints. —Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026

Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats and the lawmaker who introduced the motion, wants to change that. —ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026

Activist investor Biglari Capital wants shareholders to vote out board Chair David Goebel at the end of the month, accusing him of mismanagement. —Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026

And the part no one wants to hear while staring at a stagnant ROI dashboard is that this isn’t a tech failure. —May Habib, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026

But Hudson wants people to know that making those movies was hard work. —Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 24 Feb. 2026

Everybody, cast-wise, wants to do everything. —Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 24 Feb. 2026

Medved wants to play with a faster tempo, but given his lack of personnel, his team is one of the slowest in the Big Ten. —Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 18 Feb. 2026

Noun

Their journey from a fractious dynamic and rocky road to fraternal camaraderie was rooted in the fact that Shawn grew up in poverty, facing constant adversity, while Jack grew up in a stable household without wants. —Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Feb. 2026

Waldo’s digital shopping cart — and McCurdy’s brusque descriptions of her late-night binges — highlight the gaping, cavernous maw of her wants. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 20 Jan. 2026

Instead of a set schedule and activities with no wiggle room, retreats will start to cater to your wants and needs. —Audrey Noble, Vogue, 2 Jan. 2026

To figure out how Syria can best rebuild, its leaders and international supporters must understand the wants and needs of the country’s citizens. —Salma Al-Shami, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2025

Conversations regarding project details date back to November 2023 as staff and community members shared their wants and needs at public meetings. —Gqlshare, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Dec. 2025

The nonprofit, which formed a year ago under the auspices of the Downtown Alliance, plans a public engagement process to examine key wants and needs downtown and inform a long-term improvement strategy. —Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2025

There are many platforms to choose from, depending on the needs and specific wants of each organization. —Jason Phillips, AZCentral.com, 27 Oct. 2025

Themes of beauty and harmony are top of mind, and your home is mirroring your wants and needs. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025