# wanting

Pronunciation: US say "WAHN-ting" /ˈwɑntɪŋ/; UK say "WON-ting" /ˈwɒntɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of want. — present participle and gerund of want
   - Simple: The -ing form of want. Use it to name the action, or after a noun to describe it.
   - _He grew tired of always wanting things he could not afford._
   - _Wanting nothing in return, she offered her help freely._

## Adjective

2. Absent or lacking; not present where it is expected or needed.
   - Simple: Not there, or missing when it should be present.
   - _Several signatures were still wanting on the final contract._
   - _When the auditor arrived, key records were wanting from the archive._
3. Falling short of what is required; deficient in quality or amount.
   - Simple: Not as good or as much as it should be.
   - _Critics found the sequel wanting in both wit and pacing._
   - _Measured against the original, the new design was clearly wanting._
4. Having a wish or desire for something.
   - Simple: Feeling that you wish for or long for something.
   - _She cast a wanting look at the last slice of pie._
   - _His wanting gaze lingered on the sleek motorcycle in the showroom._

## Noun

5. The condition of desiring something; a longing or need.
   - Simple: A wish or strong feeling that you want something.
   - _A restless wanting drove her to keep searching for more._
   - _The poem captures the deep ache of human wanting._

## Preposition

6. Short of by a stated amount; less; minus.
   - Simple: Used to mean less by a certain amount.
   - _The journey lasted a month wanting two days._
   - _By his count the crowd numbered a thousand wanting forty._
7. Without; lacking; except for.
   - Simple: Without, or not having a certain thing.
   - _Wanting any real proof, the case soon fell apart._
   - _A leader wanting courage cannot inspire others._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–4, 6–7** — From Middle English wantyng, wantynge, or wantand, equivalent to "want" plus the suffix "-ing".
**Meaning 5** — From Middle English wantyng, wantynge, equivalent to "want" plus the suffix "-ing".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/wanting (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).