Find Synonyms

want Synonyms

Another word for want

Choosing another word for want depends on context, so the 45 synonyms and similar words below are separated across 7 exact definitions and ranked by match strength.
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• verb (Context 1)

To have a desire to possess or do something; to wish for.

Usage Example

"She wants to pursue a graduate degree in environmental science next autumn."

Strongest
desire
wish
Strong
crave
covet
fancy
yearn for
long for
hanker after
Weak
thirst for

• noun (Context 2)

A desire or wish for something.

Usage Example

"The company designed its new product line to meet the changing wants and needs of consumers."

Strongest
desire
wish
Strong
preference
craving
longing
yearning
appetite
hankering
fancy

• noun (Context 3)

A lack, deficiency, or scarcity of something necessary or desirable.

Usage Example

"The garden plants withered for lack of water during the prolonged drought."

Strongest
lack
deficiency
shortage
scarcity
dearth
Strong
absence
insufficiency
paucity
shortfall

• verb (Context 4)

To seek or request the presence or apprehension of someone (often used in the passive).

Usage Example

"You are wanted on the telephone by the regional director."

Strongest
seek
Strong
request
summon
call for
ask for
require
pursue
hunt

• verb (Context 5)

To lack or be short of something required or essential.

Usage Example

"The scholarship ensured that the talented student would never lack for textbooks or laboratory supplies."

Strongest
lack
need
Strong
miss
require
go without

• noun (Context 6)

The state of being poor and in need of basic necessities; destitution.

Usage Example

"Charitable organizations worked tirelessly to relieve families living in extreme poverty."

Strongest
poverty
destitution
need
privation
penury
Strong
indigence
deprivation
hardship
impoverishment

• verb (Context 7)

To ought to or need to do something; to require being done (informal).

Usage Example

"You need to be careful when driving along those narrow mountain roads in the winter."

Strongest
need
ought
Strong
require
have to

Opposites of want

The opposite of want shifts depending on context. Common opposites include:

wealth
abundance
affluence
plenty
aversion
possess
prosperity
reject
See all opposites of want

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Synonyms for Want. In Wordmom Thesaurus. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/synonyms/want
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