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:
“That is not what we want to see. Gosh!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
I just want you to amplify how important it is when you slam the courthouse doors, whether it’s preemption or standing, in environment-land, that’s it.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
"We want justice for the families of those who died crossing to Ceuta. We want compensation for their families," El Kharroubi says.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Also read: AI leaders want to ‘pace the frontier’ as part of a safety slowdown.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
I asked how she lost her gift, and she said it was grown-up stuff and she didn’t want to talk about it.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
He told them he wants a "single set of global principles and standards that are very much about unlocking the full potential whilst guarding against the risks".
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
“Innocent Ways” wants to be a bass-quaking party anthem in the manner of something from Lady Gaga’s “Chromatica,” but it has no personality and comes off as stiff and formulaic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
It’s because Morello is a musical polymath who has utilized his fame to allow himself to make whatever kind of music he wants to be making.
From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026
We’ll see how successful Bonta is on that endeavor — he hasn’t always gotten what he wants from governors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
“Rhys wants me to go with him. He can drop me at your place in a couple of hours.”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
“To have a place made so inviting, then to not be wanted, it’s so sudden and infuriating.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
The 1951 agreement already allowed the US to send as many troops as it wanted to Greenland.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
The much-anticipated IPO was initially planned for next month, but the company wanted to be able to put its third-quarter financial results on display for investors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Savory sounded more like Monday, so I did what I think of as reverse-shopping: opened the refrigerator and started looking for ingredients that wanted to know each other.
From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026
I’d heard Pops mention that he wanted to buy it.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
I don’t remember wanting to have anything to do with music, to be honest with you.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
"Spurs are dominant, chances, and you felt the tension growing - all of a sudden Spurs were just wanting to get to half-time. Once you defend with anxiety, things happen," Cole told TNT.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
The second issue, and perhaps the harder one to address, in their wanting more personal details from you.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
All conductors struggle with the contents of such inaugural bills, wanting them to shine a spotlight without seeming self-aggrandizing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
I followed, not wanting to be left alone in the tree for a passing security guard to catch.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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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