/ wɒnt; NAmE wɑːnt; wɔːnt/ verb , noun
■ verb
(not usually used in the progressive tenses)
WISH
1.
to have a desire or a wish for sth :
[ vn ]
Do you want some more tea?
She's always wanted a large family.
All I want is the truth.
Thanks for the present—it's just what I wanted .
I can do whatever I want.
The last thing I wanted was to upset you.
The party wants her as leader.
[ v to inf ]
What do you want to do tomorrow?
'It's time you did your homework.' 'I don't want to!'
There are two points which I wanted to make.
I just wanted to know if everything was all right.
[ vn to inf ]
Do you want me to help?
We didn't want this to happen.
I want it (to be) done as quickly as possible.
HELP NOTE : Notice that you cannot say 'want that ... ': I want that you do it quickly. When the infinitive is used after want , it must have to : I want study in America.
[ vn -ing ]
I don't want you coming home so late.
[ vn - adj ]
Do you want your coffee black or white?
[ v ] ( informal )
You can come too, if you want .
NEED
2.
( informal ) to need sth :
[ vn ]
We'll want more furniture for the new office.
What this house wants is a good clean.
[ v -ing , v to inf ]
The plants want watering daily.
The plants want to be watered daily.
3.
[ vn ] [ usually passive ] to need sb to be present in the place or for the purpose mentioned :
She's wanted immediately in the director's office.
Excuse me, you're wanted on the phone.
—see also wanted
SHOULD / OUGHT TO
4.
[ v to inf ] ( informal ) used to give advice to sb, meaning 'should' or 'ought to' :
If possible, you want to avoid alcohol.
He wants to be more careful.
You don't want to do it like that.
FEEL SEXUAL DESIRE
5.
[ vn ] to feel sexual desire for sb
LACK
6.
[ vn ] ( formal ) to lack sth
SYN be short of :
He doesn't want courage.
•
IDIOMS
- not want to know (about sth)
- want rid of sb/sth
- what do you want?
—more at none pronoun , part noun , truck noun , waste verb , way noun
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- want for sth
- want sth from / out of sth/sb
- want in / out
- want in | want in / into sth
- want out | want out of sth
■ noun
( formal )
STH YOU NEED
1.
[ C , usually pl. ] something that you need or want :
She spent her life pandering to the wants of her children.
LACK
2.
[ U , sing. ] want of sth ( formal ) a situation in which there is not enough of sth; a lack of sth :
a want of adequate medical facilities
BEING POOR
3.
[ U ] ( formal ) the state of being poor, not having food, etc. :
Visitors to the slums were clearly shocked to see so many families living in want .
•
IDIOMS
- for (the) want of sth
- in want of sth
- not for (the) want of doing sth
••
MORE ABOUT
offers and invitations
Would you like...? is the most usual polite question form for offers and invitations, especially in BrE :
Would you like a cup of coffee?
Do you want...? is less formal and more direct. It is more common in NAmE than in BrE :
We're going to a club tonight. Do you want to come with us?
Would you care...? is very formal and now sounds old-fashioned.
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : the noun from Old Norse vant , neuter of vanr lacking; the verb from Old Norse vanta be lacking . The original notion of “lack” was early extended to “need” and from this developed the sense desire .