WANT meaning: 1 : to desire or wish for (something) often followed by to + verb; 2 : to need (something)

Definition of want verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

If you want something, you feel a desire or a need for it. I want a drink. People wanted to know who this talented designer was. They began to want their father to be the same as other daddies.

Jan 5, 2026 · want (third-person singular simple present wants, present participle wanting, simple past and past participle wanted) (transitive) To wish for or desire (something); to feel a need or …

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 …

to be in a state of destitution, need, or poverty: She would never allow her parents to want. to be lacking or absent, as a part or thing necessary to completeness: All that wants is his signature.

In informal situations, we can use want plus the to-infinitive to advise, recommend or warn. It is almost always in the present simple, but we can also use it with ’ll (the short form of will): …

to desire (someone or something) to do something, to be in a certain condition or place, or to be acted upon in a certain way.

The meaning of WANT is to be needy or destitute. How to use want in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Want.

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 …