Meaning & use

want

verb·Everyday

To have a desire or wish for something, or to feel that something is needed or lacking.

See it in a sentence

She has always wanted to travel to Japan and see the cherry blossoms in spring.

The old house showed clear signs of want, with peeling paint and a leaking roof.

A note on using this word

As a noun, want often means a lack of something necessary, as in "for want of a better plan," a more formal use than the common verb.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

A lack or absence of something necessary or desired.

The crops failed for want of rain during the driest summer in a decade.

Make it your own

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