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.
See Examples For:
I didn’t want anything interfering with what I wanted to do or where I needed to be.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
“We want to do something on healthcare, they want to do something on healthcare, there are a lot of great things we could do together.”
From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2026
Some investors want to see Anthropic’s October numbers before assuming a cut.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
"To all trans girls participating in school sports in Washington, we want you to know that you belong: on the field, on the court, on the team," the advocate continued.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
He says that’s why it surprised him that I didn’t want to join the club at first.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
When Joanna returns to New York and wants Billy back, a custody battle unfolds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026
If a Black Sky event takes out electricity, water, shops and communications, there is a good reason the government wants us to have our own supplies.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
"I think she wants her story to be: I made a difference," Giuffra said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
He wants nearly all of it invested and untouched, “for security,” and nothing decided until we meet our adviser in January.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
That way, when he sees how supportive and helpful I am, helping him get what he wants, he won’t be able to say no to me.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
And instead of shying away from expected tropes that have defined a genre he loves, Firstman wanted to use them to dive deeper into a portrayal of queer nightlife subculture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026
The Potato Processors' Association, which also represents a number of major snackmakers, said it was monitoring the situation closely and wanted to see clarification of how the rules could affect its members.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
In the Cornell backlash, he blamed "people who felt that the status quo was being threatened, people who didn't like the idea of women being treated equally, people who wanted to shut up women."
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
I didn’t want anything interfering with what I wanted to do or where I needed to be.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
“She could keep me as long as she wanted and make me do chores for her! The betrayal was deep.”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
“But you have to kind of be naive. You have to be delusional about wanting to have a career in the arts.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
Mr. Trump has sometimes spoken of wanting to help “Dreamers” brought to the U.S. as children.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
They returned to the stadium on Wednesday to lay a Port Vale shirt among the tributes, wanting to show their support for the Tenerife community.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
But soon after, several officers returned wanting to gain entry, believing someone was injured inside and needed urgent medical attention.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
The roots ripped loose slowly, as if not wanting to relinquish their century-long hold on the dirt.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
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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