want
want
Pronunciation
IPA Phonetic Spelling:
/wɒnt/ (Received Pronunciation, some American accents) or /wɑːnt/ (General American, some other accents)
w - /w/ (as in "we")
a - /ɒ/ (as in "got" or "hot" - for /wɒnt/) or /ɑː/ (as in "father" or "car" - for /wɑːnt/)
n - /n/ (as in "no")
t - /t/ (as in "top")
Word Form Variations
Verb:
Base form: want
Third person singular present: wants
Present participle: wanting
Past tense: wanted
Past participle: wanted
Noun:
Singular: want
Plural: wants
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb
To have a desire or wish for something; to feel a need or craving for something.
Synonyms: desire, wish, crave, long for, yearn for, covet, need
Antonyms: reject, refuse, decline, dislike, abhor, disdain
To require or lack something necessary or desirable.
Synonyms: need, lack, require, be without, miss
Antonyms: have, possess, abound in, be rich in
To indicate that someone or something should or must perform an action. (Often used informally or colloquially)
Synonyms: expect, demand, insist, require, ask for
Antonyms: allow, permit, let, defer
Noun
A lack or deficiency of something necessary, desirable, or customary.
Synonyms: need, deficiency, shortage, scarcity, dearth, absence
Antonyms: abundance, plenty, surplus, excess, wealth
A desire or longing for something.
Synonyms: wish, desire, craving, longing, yearning, urge, appetite
Antonyms: disinterest, aversion, dislike, rejection, distaste
Examples of Use
Books:
"He wanted to tell her that. He wanted to tell her everything. But he couldn't." (Stephen King, The Shining, 1977)
Newspapers:
"Consumers want more sustainable options, but often face higher prices, a new report indicates." (The New York Times)
Online Publications:
"The tech industry wants to revolutionize travel, but experts caution about potential privacy risks." (Wired)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
"What do you want to do tonight, Brain?" "The same thing we do every night, Pinky - try to take over the world!" (Pinky and the Brain, animated television series, 1995-1998)
"All I want for Christmas is you!" (Mariah Carey, song lyric, 1994)
"I just want to curl up with a good book and relax this weekend." (Podcast host, "Bookworm's Bliss,")
General Public Discourse:
"We want fair wages and better working conditions for all employees." (Protest chan)
"I don't want any trouble, I just want to get home safely." (Person speaking to a stranger on the street)
"Our local charity is in want of winter coats for the homeless shelter." (Community announcement)
"The project wants for nothing; it has all the necessary resources."
10 Quotes Using Want
"Be careful what you want, for you may get it." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need." (The Rolling Stones, "You Can't Always Get What You Want," 1969)
"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. The way to get ahead is to want to get ahead." (Walt Disney)
"I want to be a part of it, New York, New York." (Frank Sinatra, "New York, New York," 1979)
"Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country. Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." (John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 1961 – often truncated to "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country," implicitly invoking the idea of want in service rather than receipt)
"We don't want to live in a world where everything is recorded... but we also want to capture every moment." (Mark Zuckerberg, 2011)
"I want to believe." (Fox Mulder, The X-Files, 1993-2018)
"Just remember that you don't always get what you want, but if you try, you get what you need." (Mick Jagger, in interviews discussing the song)
"All I want is a little respect." (Aretha Franklin, "Respect," 1967)
"The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be. What do you want to be?" (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Etymology
The word "want" has a surprising history that points to a sense of "lack" or "being without" before it came to mean "desire."
It originates from Old Norse, specifically the word "vanta," which meant "to lack," "to be wanting," or "to fail." This Old Norse term then made its way into Old English, becoming "wan," which carried similar meanings of being deficient or absent. Think of phrases like "waning moon" (meaning decreasing) which still hints at this older sense of reduction or lack.
So, the first known use and meaning of the word, around the 12th century, was as a verb meaning "to be absent or lacking." For example, you might say, "The harvest wants for rain," meaning it lacks or needs rain.
Over time, this sense of lacking something naturally evolved into the idea of desiring something that you lack. If you are "wanting" rain, you also "want" rain to fall. By the 13th century, the sense of "desire" began to emerge, and by the 14th century, it was well-established.
Therefore, the journey of "want" goes from:
Old Norse "vanta" (to lack/fail)
Old English "wan" (deficient/absent)
Early Middle English (around 12th century) where the verb "want" first meant "to be lacking" or "to be without."
Later Middle English (13th-14th century) where it developed its primary modern meaning of "to desire."
Phrases + Idioms Containing Want
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "want":
Want in (to desire to participate)
Want out (to desire to leave or no longer participate)
Want for nothing (to have everything one needs or desires)
Want to do with (to have a desire for something to be done with someone or something)
What do you want from me?
Want of (lack of, deficiency in)
As much as you want
Want more
Want a piece of (to desire a share or involvement, often in a challenging or aggressive way)
Hard to want (difficult to desire or find appealing)
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of want from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
