Word: want Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English wanten (“to lack, to need”), from Old Norse vanta (“to lack”), from Proto-Germanic *wanatōną (“to be wanting, lack”), from *wanô (“lack, deficiency”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weh₂- (“empty”). Cognate with Middle High German wan (“not full, empty”), Middle Dutch wan (“empty, poor”), Old English wana (“want, lack, absence, deficiency”), Latin vanus (“empty”). See wan, wan-. Pronunciation: /wɒnt/, /wɑnt/, /wʌnt/, /wɔnt/, [wɔːnt] 1. To wish for or desire (something); to feel a need or desire for; to crave, hanker, or demand. Labels: transitive Example: I want you as a friend, not a foe. Example: What do you want to eat? I want you to leave. I never wanted to go back to live with my mother. 2. To wish for or desire (something); to feel a need or desire for; to crave, hanker, or demand. Labels: broadly, transitive Example: The game developers of Candy Crush want you to waste large, copious amounts of your money on in-game purchases to buy boosters and lives. Example: Depression wants you to feel like the world is dark and that you are not worthy of happiness. The first step to making your life better from this day forward is to stop believing these lies. 3. To wish, desire, or demand to see, have the presence of or do business with. Labels: transitive Example: Ma’am, you are exactly the professional we want for this job. Example: Danish police want him for embezzlement. 4. To desire (to experience desire); to wish. Labels: intransitive Example: You can leave if you want. Example: TYRION: You don't want it? BRAN: I don't really want anymore. 5. To be advised to do something (compare should, ought). Labels: colloquial, second-person, usually Example: You’ll want to repeat this three or four times to get the best result. 6. To lack and be in need of or require (something, such as a noun or verbal noun). Labels: colloquial, transitive Example: The lady, it is said, will inherit a fortune of three hundred pounds a year, with two cool thousands left by an uncle, on her arriving at the age of twenty-one, of which she wants but a few months. Example: Oh Jeanie, it will be hard, after every thing is ready for our happiness, if we should be sundered. It wants but a few days o' Martinmas, and then I maun enter on my new service on Loch Rannoch, where a bonny shieling is ready ... 7. To have occasion for (something requisite or useful); to require or need. Labels: archaic, transitive Example: Man wants but little, nor that little long. Example: Man wants but little here below, nor wants that little long. 8. To be lacking or deficient or absent. Labels: dated, intransitive Example: There was something wanting in the play. Example: They of the Citie fought valiantly with Engines, Darts, Arrows: and when Stones wanted, they threw Silver, especially molten silver. 9. To be in a state of destitution; to be needy; to lack. Labels: dated, intransitive Example: You have a gift, sir (thank your education), / Will never let you want. Example: The paupers desperately want. 10. To lack and be without, to not have (something). Labels: archaic, transitive Example: he that hath skill to be a pilot wants a ship; and he that could govern a commonwealth[…]wants means to exercise his worth, hath not a poor office to manage. Example: I observed […] that your whip wanted a lash to it. 11. To lack and perhaps be able or willing to do without. Labels: broadly, obsolete, transitive Example: […] which the Kings of Assyria had left for the maintenance of this Temple sacrifices, after the ouerthrow thereof, was shared among the Chaldzans; which they by this attempt were like to lose, and therefore were willing to want his presence. Example: 1789 Robert Burns: Epigram On Francis Grose The Antiquary The Devil got notice that Grose was a-dying So whip! at the summons, old Satan came flying; But when he approached where poor Francis lay moaning, And saw each bed-post with its burthen a-groaning, Astonish'd, confounded, cries Satan-"By God, I'll want him, ere I take such a damnable load!" 12. To desire a romantic or (especially) sexual relationship with someone; to lust for. Example: Dang, girl! Your brother is gorgeous! I want him so bad! Example: Don't, don't you want me? / You know I can't believe it when I hear that you won't see me / Don't, don't you want me? / You know I don't believe you when you say that you don't need me