want
Usage
What are other ways to say want?
The verb want, usually colloquial in use, suggests a feeling of lack or need that imperatively demands fulfillment: People all over the world want peace. Wish implies the feeling of an impulse toward attainment or possession of something; the strength of the feeling may be of greater or lesser intensity: I wish I could go home. Desire, a more formal verb, suggests a strong wish: They desire liberation.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Read next: Want the lowest mortgage rate you can get?
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
Want to head to the Isle of Wight?
From BBC • May 8, 2026
Want the real answer on where a company’s earnings are headed?
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
“But one thing, for sure, you can count on: Going to a Backstreet Boys show and everybody in the audience singing ‘I Want It That Way.’
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
“What do you think, Ruti? Do you like our snowman? Want to give him a nose and dress him?”
From "Lucky Broken Girl" by Ruth Behar
Vocabulary lists containing want
"A Modest Proposal," Vocabulary from the satire
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"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 3
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Selection Vocabulary 2, Unit 2
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