verb / noun
want
A shortage of something needed.
The plants wilt for want of water during the drought.
Etymology
The older verb means lacking. The noun preserves that deprivation sense in a shortage of something necessary.
More examples
- For want of funds, the clinic closes on weekends.
- Her grandparents make sure she never wants for anything.
- The proposal shows a want of careful planning.
Forms
want · wants · wanted · wanting
wanting adjective — Lacking something necessary or falling short.
Similar words
- lack
- The closest alternative, more common in everyday speech.
- shortage
- Emphasizes having less of something than is needed.
- deprivation
- Emphasizes hardship caused by going without basic necessities.