want (w nt, wônt)v. want·ed, want·ing, wants v.tr.1. a. To desire greatly; wish for: They want to leave. She wants a glass of water. See Synonyms at desire. b. To desire (someone to do something): I want you to clean your room. 2. a. To request the presence or assistance of: You are wanted by your office. b. To seek with intent to capture: The fugitive is wanted by the police. 3. To have an inclination toward; like: Say what you want, but be tactful. 4. Informal To be obliged (to do something): You want to be careful on the ice. 5. To be without; lack. See Synonyms at lack. 6. To be in need of; require: "'Your hair wants cutting,' said the Hatter" Lewis Carroll. v.intr.1. To have need: wants for nothing. 2. To be destitute or needy. 3. To be disposed; wish: Call me daily if you want. n.1. The condition or quality of lacking something usual or necessary: stayed home for want of anything better to do. 2. Pressing need; destitution: lives in want. 3. Something desired: a person of few wants and needs. 4. A defect of character; a fault. Phrasal Verbs: want in Slang 1. To desire greatly to enter: The dog wants in. 2. To wish to join a project, business, or other undertaking. want out Slang 1. To desire greatly to leave: The cat wants out. 2. To wish to leave a project, a business, or other undertaking.
[Middle English wanten, to be lacking, from Old Norse vanta; see eu - in Indo-European roots.]
want er n. Usage Note: When want meaning "desire" is followed immediately by an infinitive construction, it does not take for: I want you to go (not want for you to go). When want and the infinitive are separated by a word or phrase, however, for is used: What I want is for you to go. I want very much for you to go. Want in its meaning of "have need, lack" normally takes for: They'll not want for anything now that they've inherited his estate. See Usage Note at wish. |
want Verb 1. to feel a need or longing for: I want a job 2. to wish or desire (to do something): we did not want to get involved 3. Brit, Austral & NZ to have need of or require (doing or being something): what will you do when it wants cleaning? 4. Informal should or ought (to do something): the last person you want to hire is someone who is desperate for a job 5. want for to be lacking or deficient in: they were convinced I was wealthy and wanted for nothing Noun 1. something that is needed, desired, or lacked: attempts to satisfy a number of wants 2. a lack, shortage, or absence: for want of opportunity 3. in want of needing or lacking: the Chinese peasant farmer may be in want of a roof, a job, a doctor nearby [Old Norse vanta to be deficient]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. | want - a state of extreme poverty | | 2. | want - the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable; "there is a serious lack of insight into the problem"; "water is the critical deficiency in desert regions"; "for want of a nail the shoe was lost"absence - the state of being absent; "he was surprised by the absence of any explanation" need, demand - a condition requiring relief; "she satisfied his need for affection"; "God has no need of men to accomplish His work"; "there is a demand for jobs" deficit - a deficiency or failure in neurological or mental functioning; "the people concerned have a deficit in verbal memory"; "they have serious linguistic deficits" mineral deficiency - lack of a mineral micronutrient that is essential for normal nutrition or metabolism shortness - the condition of being short of something; "there was no shortness of money"; "can cause shortness of breath" | | 3. | want - anything that is necessary but lacking; "he had sufficient means to meet his simple needs"; "I tried to supply his wants"essential, necessary, requisite, necessity, requirement - anything indispensable; "food and shelter are necessities of life"; "the essentials of the good life"; "allow farmers to buy their requirements under favorable conditions"; "a place where the requisites of water fuel and fodder can be obtained" | | 4. | want - a specific feeling of desire; "he got his wish"; "he was above all wishing and desire"desire - the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state velleity - a mere wish, unaccompanied by effort to obtain | | Verb | 1. | want - feel or have a desire for; want strongly; "I want to go home now"; "I want my own room"take to, fancy, go for - have a fancy or particular liking or desire for; "She fancied a necklace that she had seen in the jeweler's window" miss - feel or suffer from the lack of; "He misses his mother" hope - be optimistic; be full of hope; have hopes; "I am still hoping that all will turn out well" wish - hope for; have a wish; "I wish I could go home now" wish well, wish - feel or express a desire or hope concerning the future or fortune of like, wish, care - prefer or wish to do something; "Do you care to try this dish?"; "Would you like to come along to the movies?" itch, spoil - have a strong desire or urge to do something; "She is itching to start the project"; "He is spoiling for a fight" like - want to have; "I'd like a beer now!" feel like - have an inclination for something or some activity; "I feel like staying in bed all day"; "I feel like a cold beer now" seek - try to get or reach; "seek a position"; "seek an education"; "seek happiness" | | 2. | want - have need of; "This piano wants the attention of a competent tuner"cry - demand immediate action; "This situation is crying for attention" be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer" | | 3. | want - hunt or look for; want for a particular reason; "Your former neighbor is wanted by the FBI"; "Uncle Sam wants you"want - wish or demand the presence of; "I want you here at noon!" look for, search, seek - try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of; "The police are searching for clues"; "They are searching for the missing man in the entire county" | | 4. | want - wish or demand the presence of; "I want you here at noon!"demand - request urgently and forcefully; "The victim's family is demanding compensation"; "The boss demanded that he be fired immediately"; "She demanded to see the manager" want - hunt or look for; want for a particular reason; "Your former neighbor is wanted by the FBI"; "Uncle Sam wants you" | | 5. | want - be without, lack; be deficient in; "want courtesy"; "want the strength to go on living"; "flood victims wanting food and shelter"lack, miss - be without; "This soup lacks salt"; "There is something missing in my jewelry box!" |
want verb 1. wish for, desire, fancy, long for, crave, covet, hope for, yearn for, thirst for, hunger for, pine for, hanker after, set your heart on, feel a need for, have a yen for ( informal) have a fancy for, eat your heart out over, would give your eyeteeth for << OPPOSITE have 4. desire, fancy, long for, crave, wish for, yearn for, thirst for, hanker after, burn for noun 6. lack, need, absence, shortage, deficiency, famine, default, shortfall, inadequacy, scarcity, dearth, paucity, shortness, insufficiency, non-existence, scantiness << OPPOSITE abundance noun 7. poverty, need, hardship, privation, penury, destitution, neediness, hand-to-mouth existence, indigence, pauperism, pennilessness, distress << OPPOSITE wealth noun 8. wish, will, need, demand, desire, requirement, fancy, yen ( informal) longing, hunger, necessity, appetite, craving, yearning, thirst, whim, hankering
Translations want [wɔnt] vt (= wish for) → querer, desear (= need); necesitar (= lack); carecer dewants npl (= needs) → necesidades fpl; you're wanted on the phone → te llaman al teléfono; "cook wanted" → "se necesita cocinero/a"
want [wɔnt] vt → vouloir (= need); avoir besoin de (= lack); manquer dewants npl (= needs) → besoins mpl;
want [wɔnt] vt (= wish for) → wollen (= need); brauchenn (= lack); wants npl (needs) → Bedürfnisse pl;
want [wɔnt] vt → volere (= need); aver bisogno di (= lack); mancare diwants npl (= needs) → bisogni mpl; you're wanted on the phone → la vogliono al telefono; "cook wanted" → "cercasi cuoco"
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