wanting

wanting

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈwɑntɪŋ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈwɒntɪŋ/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɒntɪŋ

Etymology 1

From Middle English wantyng, wantynge, wantand, equivalent to want +‎ -ing.

Adjective

wanting (comparative more wanting, superlative most wanting)

1. That wants or desires.
2. Absent or lacking.
   • 1813, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Modern Library Edition (1995), page 171,

     […] but where other powers of entertainment are wanting, the true philosopher will derive benefit from such as are given.

3. Deficient.
   • 1993, Dana Stabenow, Dead in the Water, →ISBN, page 151:

     Kate felt privileged to have been permitted to speak through it and she was glad that, as before, she had been judged and not found wanting

Derived terms

• wantingly

Translations

absent or lacking

Arabic Egyptian Arabic: عاوز‎ (arz) Bulgarian: лишен (bg) (lišen), липсващ (bg) (lipsvašt) Irish: díothach, uireasach, easpach Persian: کم‎ (fa) (kam) Portuguese: deficiente (pt), desprovido (pt), faltante (pt) Prakrit: 𑀡𑀽𑀡 (ṇūṇa) Sanskrit: ऊन (sa) (ūna) Scottish Gaelic: uireasbhach

Preposition

wanting

1. Without, except, but.
2. Less, short of, minus.

Verb

wanting

1. present participle of want

Etymology 2

From Middle English wantyng, wantynge, equivalent to want +‎ -ing.

Noun

wanting (countable and uncountable, plural wantings)

1. The state of wanting something; desire.
   • 2004, Joseph H. Casey S.J., Life, Love, and Sex

     Choice occurs only when we experience a conflict of wantings.