wantingadj.

Brit.

/ˈwɒntɪŋ/, U.S.

/ˈwɑn(t)ɪŋ/

Forms: see want v. and -ing suffix².

Origin: Formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: want v., -ing suffix².

Etymology: < want v. + -ing suffix². Compare earlier wantsome adj.

I. In predicative use.Some later predicative uses of the adjective could be interpreted as instances of intransitive senses of the verb want in the progressive (see want v. I.).

a. With to.

†(a) That is absent or lacking with regard to (a person or thing); not forthcoming to; not supplied or provided to. Obsolete.In quot. a1400 with dative pronoun instead of to.

ΚΠ

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 6499 Quen manna sal vs wantand be, He sal send vs wid plente.

?1533 tr. Erasmus Serm. f. 16 Yf any thynge be wantynge to theym, [etc.].

1570 T. Tymme tr. A. Marlorat Catholike & Eccles. Expos. Mathewe (xvi. 32) 346/2 Nothinge can be wantinge to them that followe Christe.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 1 (1623) i. i. 82 Were our Teares wanting to this Funerall.

1640 tr. G. S. du Verdier Love & Armes Greeke Princes ii. xlv. 174 As for my parents,..I may say without vanity, that Crowns are unjustly wanting to their worth. [Fr. que les couronnes manquent iniustement à leurs merites.]

1719 D. Defoe Farther Adventures Robinson Crusoe 60 This Presence of Mind was wanting to them, which was the Ruin of their Tranquillity for a great while.

1772 Polit. Reg. Mar. 148 So long as they have money in their coffers, they are certain, that friends and humble servants will never be wanting to them.

1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. iv. 430 No gift of nature or of fortune seemed to be wanting to her.

1861 F. A. Paley Æschylus' Choephori (ed. 2) 817 By this slight and happy change..an imperative, hitherto wanting to the sentence, is obtained.

1889 W. C. Russell Marooned III. iii. 109 Nothing was wanting to him but his Scotch cap.

1920 H. J. Laski Polit. Thought in Eng. ii. 50 A common political superior there doubtless must be; but government is an organ to which omnipotence is wanting.

(b) to be wanting to: (of a person) to fail to help or aid; to fall short of (a standard or expectation); to prove unequal to. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > failure or lack of success > fail in [verb (transitive)] > fail to satisfy expectation, etc.

to be wanting to1539

unbeseem1814

1539 T. Paynell tr. St. Cyprian Serm. on Lordes Prayer sig. C.v He that hath god, lacketh nothynge, yf he hym selfe be not wantyng to god.

1568 D. Rowland tr. G. A. Grifoni Comfortable Ayde for Scholers 88 I was neuer wantinge to thine honour.

1640 tr. G. S. du Verdier Love & Armes Greeke Princes i. xliii. 176 When they had all promised rather to dye then be wanting to the duty of a good Knight [Fr. plustost que manquer au deuoir d'vn bon cheualier].

1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost x. 271 Nor shall I to the work thou enterprisest Be wanting, but afford thee equal aid.

1724 W. Crowe Duty Promoting Publick Peace 15 These men were very grossly wanting to the duty I have been insisting on.

1761 D. Hume Hist. Eng. to Henry VII I. i. 17 Cerdic was not wanting to his good fortune.

1868 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest II. vii. 141 The Earl of the West-Saxons was not a man to be wanting to his country at such a moment.

1872 J. H. Newman Hist. Sketches II. Ded. p. vi You have never been wanting to me..when I had occasion in any difficulty to seek your guidance.

1946 Hermathena May 64 Molyneux felt that silence on his part would have shown him wanting to his country, and indeed to mankind.

†(c) to be wanting to oneself: to fail to do justice to oneself; to fall below the standard imposed by one's character and abilities. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > failure or lack of success > fail or be unsuccessful [verb (intransitive)] > fail or fall short

false?c1225

fault1486

to be wanting to oneself1582

want1643

undershoot1874

to come up short1917

underperform1976

1582 R. Browne Life & Manners all True Christians ii. clxiv. sig. N2^v They faile and are wanting to them selues.

1600 Abp. G. Abbot Expos. Prophet Ionah xxi. 451 True wisedome had taught that honorable Generall, to be no way wanting to himselfe.

1642 D. Rogers Naaman 11 Some alledge God will not be wanting to any who are not wanting to themselves.

1701 W. Wotton Hist. Rome 343 He was mightily wanting also to himself in the choice of his Officers.

1785 W. Cowper Let. 31 Dec. (1981) II. 438 You observe therefore that I am not wanting to myself; he that is so, has no just claim on the assistance of others.

1799 Ann. Reg. 1794 (Otridge ed.) Hist. Europe 89/1 The Vendéans were not wanting to themselves in so terrible a crisis.

1842 Dublin Univ. Mag. June 759 Nor was that brave man wanting to himself or his cause on this trying occasion.

1872 W. H. Jervis Gallican Church II. x. 356 The stout-hearted Christophe de Beaumont, again, was not wanting to himself in the emergency.

b. Without to: not present or forthcoming; absent, lacking; missing.

ΚΠ

a1450 Rule St. Benet (Vesp.) (1902) l. 1505 So þat, if oght wantand be, In whom defaut es, may men se.

c1450 Alphabet of Tales (1904) I. 54 So þai lukid aboute þaim, & one of þaim sayd þat þe chamberlayn was wantand.

1546 T. Cranmer in J. Strype Memorials T. Cranmer (1694) ii. i. 144 The Oil, if added, is but a Ceremony: If it be wanting, that King is yet..God's Anointed, as well as if he was inoiled.

1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry i. f. 36 If doung be wantyng to mende the ground withall.

1611 W. Vaughan Spirit of Detraction sig. *^v There is not wanting a sort of suspicious Critickes.

1671 J. Milton Paradise Regain'd ii. 450 And what in me seems wanting, but that I May also in this poverty as soon Accomplish what they did?

1707 tr. P. Le Lorrain de Vallemont Curiosities in Husbandry & Gardening 168 When the Saltseller was wanting, the Table was look'd on as Profane.

1765 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. I. xv. 425 If such consent from the father was wanting, the marriage was null.

1836 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers (1837) ii. 20 Mr. Winkle eagerly watched his opportunity. It was not long wanting.

1837 B. Disraeli Venetia II. 99 The day died away, and still he was wanting.

1867 M. E. Herbert Cradle Lands i. 3 One comfort only was wanting in this hotel, and that was mosquito-nets.

1921 E. Sapir Lang. ix. 212 The peculiar, dull vowel..is entirely wanting in Germanic, Greek, Armenian, and Indo-Iranian.

1986 T. Mo Insular Possession vi. 38 Jonathan, you are right to opine that the means are not wanting.

2009 Independent 3 Oct. 39/4 The consequence of our failure to teach mutuality and respect, and where those are wanting, to instil fear.

2. That lacks, or is without, something.

a. Without construction: that is lacking in a required or necessary quality; deficient, inadequate. Frequently in to be found wanting with allusion to, or as an echo of, Daniel 5:27 (see quot. 1568).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > non-possession > [adjective] > devoid of something > lacking or without

wane971

quit?c1225

helpless1362

desolatec1386

wantsomea1400

ungirtc1412

voidc1420

wantinga1475

destitutea1500

unfurnished1541

defect1543

bankrupt1567

frustrate1576

wanting1580

wanting1592

sterile1642

minus1807

lacking1838

to be stuck up for1860

short1873

wanting1874

quits1885

light1936

a1475 Sidrak & Bokkus (Lansd.) (1999) II. l. 11891 Shal euery day deie here mo Of peple þat on þe erþe go Þan shulde into þis world borne be..Þan shulde þe world euere be wantand And euere shulde þe folke be fewand.

?1567 H. Thorne tr. St. J. Chrysostom Phisicke for Soul f. 65^v Ymploy reading, and prayer, that thy mind may be lightned, that thou mayest be made perfite, and honest in all things, wanting in no point.

1568 Bible (Bishops') Dan. v. 27 Thou art wayed in the balaunce, and art founde wanting [1535 Coverdale to light; Hebrew ḥassîr].

1599 T. Morton Treat. Nature of God ii. 73 For there is no creature in the world..will not bee found wanting in many respects.

1688 T. Ward Errata to Protestant Bible 10 Their Duty..was found wanting upon a second review of the whole Work.

1701 G. Stanhope Law not Destroyed but Established by Gospel 7 It was matter of just indignation to St. Paul, that He and his Doctrine should be thought wanting in respect to Moses and his Institution.

1776 S. Estwick Let. to J. Tucker 11 He complains so heavily of being thought wanting in the sciences more immediately belonging to his clerical profession.

1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 453 His rectitude and piety, tried by strong temptations and never found wanting.

1957 A. Ellis Let. 8 Feb. in I. L. Reiss & A. Ellis At Dawn of Sexual Revol. (2002) 12 Those who have tried numerous lighter sex affairs and found them wanting.

1993 Economist 7 Aug. 30/2 The yardstick against which the anti-establishment Mr Murdoch's paper is commonly compared, contrasted and generally thought wanting.

1999 D. Sobel Galileo's Daughter (2000) xi. 127 If the visitator was wanting, the chaplains were worse.

2012 Independent 22 Nov. 22/2 The eighth manager to be found wanting in as many years.

b. With prepositions, specifying what is lacking or absent.

†(a) With of. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > non-possession > [adjective] > devoid of something > lacking or without

wane971

quit?c1225

helpless1362

desolatec1386

wantsomea1400

ungirtc1412

voidc1420

wantinga1475

destitutea1500

unfurnished1541

defect1543

bankrupt1567

frustrate1576

wanting1580

wanting1592

sterile1642

minus1807

lacking1838

to be stuck up for1860

short1873

wanting1874

quits1885

light1936

1580 T. N. tr. P. Mexía Pleasaunt Dialogue sig. C.i As they were at that time ignorant of learning, and other Arts, so were they wanting of Medicine.

1597 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet ii. i. 120 For life were better ended by their hate, Than death proroged wanting of thy loue.

1625 T. Thomas Two Treat. i. 111 A Christian is euer wanting of grace.

1669 Ld. Orrery Parthenissa VI. ii. vii. 242 I give those Kingdoms to you, and your Heirs for ever..and wanting of Heirs, to revert unto my successors again.

1709 D. Manley Secret Mem. 2 Her Limbs enervated and supine, wanting of that Energy that should bear her [etc.].

1721 R. Bradley Philos. Acct. Wks. Nature 23 It is wanting of Leaves.

1826 T. Dibdin Bundle of Wants in Universal Songster 127/1 A brewing, if wanting of malt, I'm sure, must prove very bad beer.

(b) With in.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > non-possession > [adjective] > devoid of something > lacking or without

wane971

quit?c1225

helpless1362

desolatec1386

wantsomea1400

ungirtc1412

voidc1420

wantinga1475

destitutea1500

unfurnished1541

defect1543

bankrupt1567

frustrate1576

wanting1580

wanting1592

sterile1642

minus1807

lacking1838

to be stuck up for1860

short1873

wanting1874

quits1885

light1936

1592 Petition Ciuill Dissention 64 Curates should examine Communicants, and seclude them that be found wanting in knowledge.

1624 A. Leighton Speculum Belli Sacri xxxiv. 202 They would be wanting in nothing.

1697 J. Dryden Ded. Ld. Clifford in tr. Virgil Wks. sig. A1 Though England is not wanting in a Learned Nobility.

1724 A. Pope Corr. 1 Aug. (1956) II. 246 And hope..he will not be found wanting in the knowledge of his profession.

1796 J. Owen Trav. Europe II. lxxxiv. 2 The palace.., the public buildings..and the equestrian monument..compose a groupe, which would not be thought wanting in dignity.

1869 H. F. Tozer Res. Highlands of Turkey II. 257 No one..would suspect them of being wanting in fun.

1896 Law Times 100 393/1 The Doctor's reply to Junius was not wanting in incisiveness.

1935 A. Bongiorno & A. Livingston tr. V. Pareto Mind & Society II. vi. 509 Residues correspond to certain instincts in human beings, and for that reason they are usually wanting in definiteness.

1960 T. McLean Kings of Rugby xi. 185 As clubmates, Briscoe and McCullough, were as yet wanting in subtlety.

2000 T. Robbins Fierce Invalids 193 The sad-faced little mercado.., so woefully wanting in goods and goods-buyers.

†(c) With for. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > non-possession > [adjective] > devoid of something > lacking or without

wane971

quit?c1225

helpless1362

desolatec1386

wantsomea1400

ungirtc1412

voidc1420

wantinga1475

destitutea1500

unfurnished1541

defect1543

bankrupt1567

frustrate1576

wanting1580

wanting1592

sterile1642

minus1807

lacking1838

to be stuck up for1860

short1873

wanting1874

quits1885

light1936

1874 G. W. Dasent Half a Life I. 115 As I was wanting for a nickname,..I was called ‘the Companion of the Bath’.

†3. That falls short of being a particular age, weight, or size. With of specifying the age, weight, or size. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > source or principle of life > age > [adjective] > younger than an age

wanting1601

1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World I. vi. xxxiii. 150 Europe is little wanting [L. paulo minus] of halfe as bigge againe as Asia.

1709 D. Manley Secret Mem. (ed. 2) II. 184 I was then wanting of Fourteen.

1829 Sporting Mag. July 163/2 The lad who rode Lord Kelburne's colt, on coming to the scales to weigh, was found no way wanting of seven stone.

1859 Peterson's Mag. July 31 ‘Why, aunty, when did they stop doing that?’ interrupted cousin Jack, a rather forward boy, not wanting of thirteen.

†4. Needed for a particular purpose; requisite, necessary. Frequently with for. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > necessity > condition of being necessary > [adjective]

needfulOE

necessaryc1376

needfulc1390

necessairea1393

needfula1402

necessariousc1410

requisite1442

unlackablec1443

unsparablec1449

necessc1475

requise1477

needy1487

exigentc1508

of necessityc1515

essential1526

insacrificablea1603

peremptory1607

unspared1614

sine qua non1615

real1620

necessitous1637

needsomec1650

undispensable1658

vital1659

wanting1671

implemental1676

sine quo non1693

indispensable1696

indispensible1792

vital1822

unmissable1823

of the essence (of)1843

1671 J. Brown Horologiographia v. 72 You shall find, that long Rulers and Lines will be wanting for a small Dial.

1687 M. B. Whiting Let. 1 May in R. Law Eng. in W. Afr. (2001) II. 293 Matterialls now wanting for the Castle are cathridge paper, tarris, spunge nailes, and three or four canky stones.

1700 T. Bray Memorial 14 Considering the Extent of that Knot of little Islands, Three Missionaries at least will be wanting there.

1756 G. Washington Let. 24 Apr. in Writings (1889) I. 261 To carry on all these works, a number of tools..will be absolutely wanting.

1797 A. M. Bennett Beggar Girl II. xvi. 305 Mrs. Buhanun's first plan was to take such a number of servants with her as would be wanting to attend on her husband.

1801 M. Edgeworth Prussian Vase in Moral Tales III. 67 She added, that the count had written all that was wanting for her.

1822 A. B. Carson Hist. 196 I inquired could those assistants be obtained? he replied yes, for money he would procure as many as was wanting for that purpose.

†5. With infinitive. Slow or backward to do something. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > manner of action > slowness of action or operation > [adjective] > slow to act or dilatory

slowOE

tediousc1485

longsome1543

dilatorya1616

sliving1661

wanting1691

traa dy liooar1878

spare-

1691 A. Gavin Frauds Romish Monks (ed. 3) 286 The Monk was extraordinarily applauded for this his curious Thought, and he was not wanting to make good use of it.

a1695 (c1603) Life Mr. W. Whittingham 35 in Camden Misc. (1871) VI But neither yet was God wanting to punish the malice and wickednesse shewed in this action.

1711 Hymn to be sung at Anniversary-meeting of Charity Schools (single sheet) Should we be wanting to rejoice Thro' Deadness or Delays The Stones themselves would find a Voice To celebrate his Praise.

1755 N. Magens Ess. Insurances II. 119 All those that are wanting to do their Duty in this Respect, shall be obliged to make Satisfaction.

6. Chiefly Scottish, Irish English (northern), and English regional (northern and north midlands). Having a low learning ability or intellectual capacity; deficient in intelligence.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > weakness of intellect > [adjective]

sickc1340

dottlec1390

doting1489

dotish1509

feeble-minded1534

weak-brained1535

silly1568

fondish1579

lean-witted1597

soft1621

weaka1661

touched1697

muzzy-headed1798

defective1825

wanting1839

half-baked1842

dotty1860

knock-kneed1865

lean-minded1867

doddering1871

weak-minded1883

ninepence in the shilling1889

barmy1892

drippy1952

dipshit1968

1839 C. Dickens Nicholas Nickleby xxxiv. 331 ‘He was a little wanting here,’ touching his forehead.

1877 F. Ross et al. Gloss. Words Holderness (at cited word) You moant tak nooatis o' what he says; he's a bit wantin.

1911 Times 12 July 11/3 Making him seem to be what village-people call ‘wanting’.

1924 J. Buchan Three Hostages vi. 85 Had something given in my brain last night..so that now I was what people call ‘wanting’?

1976 ‘J. Bell’ Trouble in Hunter Ward xvii. 180 Maisie, poor mite, wanting from birth, she was.

1995 J. Barclay Paras over the Barras (2002) v. 68 She is no' the type to choose somebody who is..er..wanting.

II. In attributive use.

7. Not present; absent, missing. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > place > absence > [adjective] > absent, lost, or lacking

absenta1398

wanting?a1425

lacking1480

alacka1529

void1554

defaulting1584

lacked1590

lack1591

destituent1660

unaccounted1799

truant1869

?a1425 Erthe upon Erthe (Trin. Cambr. B.15.39) (1911) 49 Out of þis erþe cam to þis erþe þis wantinge grarnement [read garnement].

1573 Aldeburgh Rec. in Notes & Queries (1920) 12th Ser. 7 226/2 To Jeaffrye Freman for a wanton [sic] Box that barker loste, xii^d.

1683 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises II. 354 He Sets out..a Quire..to make good the wanting Sheets.

1685 J. Evelyn Diary (1955) IV. 469 Then they spake of the boy who was pretended to have had a wanting leg restor'd him.

1851 J. J. Sylvester in London, Edinb., & Dublin Philos. Mag. 4th Ser. 2 229 It is difficult to see how the wanting factor escapes detection.

1854 H. Miller My Schools & Schoolmasters 302 Many a wanting feature had to be supplied.

1915 Blackwood's Mag. Aug. 232/1 By no searching in his girdle..could he produce the wanting money.

1935 R. R. Kuczynski Measurem. of Population Growth, Methods & Results v. 166 The device which Halley applied in order to supply the wanting number of inhabitants was most ingenious.

†8. That is lacking or deficient in something implied by the context. More generally: lacking money or the necessaries of life; poor, needy. Also in nominalized phrases (e.g. in quots. 1685 and 1747). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > quantity > insufficiency > [adjective] > deficient or wanting

wanec825

thurfec1175

lacking1480

indigent1531

defect1543

awanting1583

missed1584

wanting1592

defective1603

wanted1619

half-baked1627

deficient1632

manqué1773

the mind > possession > non-possession > [adjective] > devoid of something > lacking or without > poorly supplied or equipped

barec1220

poora1250

leana1340

nakedc1380

indigent1426

wanting1592

slender1722

1592 N. Gyer Eng. Phlebotomy 28 For the emptied and wanting partes by the long small veines draw bloud forth of the full partes, & repleated members.

a1625 J. Fletcher Wit without Money (1639) ii. sig. D2^v I have not seene a Gentleman so backward, a wanting Gentleman.

1657 S. Purchas Theatre Flying-insects 338 Bees though..they have sufficiently stored and replenished their hives..; yet will they not give over working; nay some, not leave robbing and that from the weaker and wanting hives.

1683 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises II. 309 He thrusts the Wooll from the bunching-out side, towards the wanting side.

1685 W. Petty Will in Trans. Royal Irish Acad.: Antiq. (1873) 24 114 I give twenty pounds to the most wanting of the parish wherein I dye.

1727 J. Swift Let. 9 July in Corr. (1963) III. 223 Thus wanting people are like drowning people, who lay hold of every reed or bulrush in their way.

1747 Codicil to Will of Walter, Ld. Aston in J. O. Payne Rec. Eng. Catholics (1889) 23 £50 to the two bishops..to give to the most pious and wanting of their clergy to pray for me.

1826 J. Galt Last of Lairds xx. 177 It would not become women in our position to be visiting a wanting man.

a. That seeks or desires material wealth or possessions; greedy, acquisitive.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > wish or inclination > desire > inordinate or excessive desire > [adjective] > inordinately desirous of possessions

greedya1000

overgreedyOE

avarous1303

covetous1340

concupiscible1398

avaricious1474

silver-sick?a1500

lucrous1511

having1528

lucrative1549

concupiscentious1555

holding1569

griping?1573

concupiscential1577

over-havinga1600

gripulous1614

ingordigious1637

concupitive1651

appropriative1655

lucripetous1675

coveting1699

grasping1747

concupiscenta1834

acquisitive1846

pleonectic1858

big-eye1868

wanting1876

possessive1889

grabby1910

gold-digging1925

territorial1966

1876 R. Browning Pacchiarotto & Other Poems 156 Robbed and impoverished through the wanting wife.

1903 Q. Oregon Hist. Soc. Mar. 51 Ah, man! you are, indeed, a wanting animal, one whose wants are ever multiplying.

1926 Nation & Athenæum 3 Apr. 14/1 ‘She..ask for coffin handles as bright as they gates.’ ‘She were always a wanting woman,’ said Mrs. Pring.

2014 V. I. Sreenivas Journey toward Greater Happiness iv. 37 When we gain a desired object we feel happy... The wanting personality has temporarily receded.

b. Having or showing (sexual) desire or longing; passionate; ardent. Cf. want v. 9d.

ΚΠ

1922 R. D. Richberg Man of Purpose viii. 85 All that I am today wants you. All that I know to-night is that I am a wanting man and you are the dearest, most wonderful woman.

1959 E. F. Brown Lusts Don Dashell xxv. 399 He would rather explore the phenomena of love than indulge in its delights. That would be terrible to a wanting woman.

2013 D. Gatesbury Haunting of Stathmore Heights xix. 197 Reopening my eyes, I saw a wanting desire in his gleaming eyes.

Derivatives

ˈwantingness n. †(a) the fact of lacking something; deficiency, want (obsolete); (b) the fact of wanting to do something; desire for something.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > non-possession > [noun] > state of being devoid of something > lacking or being without something

missOE

tharningc1175

missinga1375

lacking1377

wantingc1390

necessitya1393

destitutiona1440

poverty?1440

misture1563

unprovidedness1606

unprovision1631

wantingness1643

carency1655

nudity1656

destituteness1818

1643 C. Herle Answer to Fernes Reply 14 The maine ends..are..supply of wantingnesse, allay of wilfulnesse.

a1866 J. Grote Treat. Moral Ideals (1876) ii. 24 The wantingness which is the call to action.

1891 Wilson's Photogr. Mag. 7 Mar. 141/1 This need not be if there is a willingness and a wanting-ness to learn.

1916 ‘L. Malet’ Damaris ii. vii. 116 It was a policy bold, surely,..thus to weigh her in the balances, find her wanting, and acclaim that same wantingness as safeguard against his own passion?

1967 G. B. Mair Girl from Peking v. 65 The wanting-ness..made her tingle with lust.

1997 Guardian 10 May (The Week section) 2/5 Her whole show is based on this powerful wantingness at the heart of America: people want to talk.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2016; most recently modified version published online December 2021).

单词	wanting
释义	wantingn. Brit. /ˈwɒntɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈwɑnt(t)ɪŋ/ Forms: see want v. and -ing suffix¹. Origin: Formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: want v., -ing suffix¹. Etymology: < want v. + -ing suffix¹. †1. The condition of being without something; the absence or deficiency of something; a lack. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > quantity > insufficiency > [noun] > deficiency, lack, or shortage wanec888 trokingc1175 want?c1225 defaultc1300 trokea1325 fault1340 lacking1377 scarcityc1380 wantingc1390 absencea1398 bresta1400 defect?a1425 lack?c1425 defailing1502 mank?a1513 inlaik1562 defection1576 inlaiking1595 vacuity1601 deficience1605 lossa1616 failancea1627 deficiency1634 shortness1669 falling shorta1680 miss1689 wantage1756 shortage1868 the mind > possession > non-possession > [noun] > state of being devoid of something > lacking or being without something missOE tharningc1175 missinga1375 lacking1377 wantingc1390 necessitya1393 destitutiona1440 poverty?1440 misture1563 unprovidedness1606 unprovision1631 wantingness1643 carency1655 nudity1656 destituteness1818 c1390 W. Hilton Expos. Qui habitat & Bonum Est (1954) 32 (MED) What is synne but wantyng of god? a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 11676 We o water has nu wanting, Vr water purueance es gan. c1475 (?c1400) J. Wyclif Sel. Eng. Wks. (1871) III. 431 (MED) Bodyliche abyte, or wantyng þerof, makiþ not men religiose neyþer apostataes. c1500 (?a1437) Kingis Quair (1939) lxxxvi Sum [died] soroufully, for wanting of thare makis. c1500 Melusine (1895) 179 Woo were to me, yf for wantyng of a preu & valyaunt man it shuld retourne in to the paynemes handes. 1581 R. Mulcaster Positions xxxix. 199 Both a gentleman, and a common man..may be either rich or poore: landed or vnlanded, which is either the hauing or wanting of the most statarie substance. a1616 W. Shakespeare As you like It (1623) ii. vii. 126 And take vpon command, what helpe we haue That to your wanting may be ministred. View more context for this quotation 1680 W. Allen Perswasive to Peace & Unity (ed. 2) Pref. p. lxxxvi The Printers wanting of Copy to fill up this sheet, is the only occasion of this Postscript. 1682 T. Otway Venice Preserv'd iv. 44 Why was such happiness not given me pure? Why dash'd with cruel wrongs, and bitter wantings? 1730 A. Gordon tr. F. S. Maffei Compl. Hist. Anc. Amphitheatres ii. iii. 217 The wanting of the external Circuit, and superb Front in ours, makes it appear small, in comparison of that of Rome. 1832 D. P. Blaine Canine Pathol. (ed. 3) ii. 75 There are few sources more productive of disease to dogs than a wanting of general cleanliness in the air they breathe. 1883 R. Whitelaw tr. Sophocles Electra in Sophocles Transl. into Eng. Verse 205 They rule me, and from them comes all I have—My having and my wanting, both are theirs. 2. The fact or action of desiring; an instance of this; (a) desire, longing, or craving. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > wish or inclination > desire > [noun] i-willc888 wilningc888 willingeOE lustc950 listc1220 desire1303 affection1340 desiring1377 appetite1382 envya1400 wishc1430 desideryc1450 stomach1513 affect1531 wilnec1540 desirefulness1548 woulding1549 desirousness1571 ambition1579 lusting1580 listing1587 maw1601 appetition1603 appetence1610 bosoma1616 orexis1619 desirableness1649 appetency1656 would1753 wanting1801 want-to1903 1801 T. Moore Poet. Wks. Late Thomas Little 68 When..desiring, Lovers wish something, but must not say what, Looks tell the wanting. 1899 Independent (N.Y.) 16 Nov. 3067/1 Nothing is new under the sun, you know—not even our longings and our wantings. 1926 Rock Valley (Iowa) Bee 5 Feb. 10/2 What he tasted of books in school..shook him with a wanting of more and more. 1932 G. Lumpkin To make my Bread xii. 87 She saw the wanting in his face. 1970 Burlington (N. Carolina) Times-News 1 Aug. 12 a/1 I've been smoking for three years, so I would like to know when the wanting for a cigarette will go away. 2010 R. R. Critchfield Finding your own Truth App. 250 Wanting is part of life, creativity, family building, wealth creation. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2016; most recently modified version published online December 2021). wantingadj. Brit. /ˈwɒntɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈwɑn(t)ɪŋ/ Forms: see want v. and -ing suffix². Origin: Formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: want v., -ing suffix². Etymology: < want v. + -ing suffix². Compare earlier wantsome adj. I. In predicative use.Some later predicative uses of the adjective could be interpreted as instances of intransitive senses of the verb want in the progressive (see want v. I.). 1. a. With to. †(a) That is absent or lacking with regard to (a person or thing); not forthcoming to; not supplied or provided to. Obsolete.In quot. a1400 with dative pronoun instead of to. ΚΠ a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 6499 Quen manna sal vs wantand be, He sal send vs wid plente. ?1533 tr. Erasmus Serm. f. 16 Yf any thynge be wantynge to theym, [etc.]. 1570 T. Tymme tr. A. Marlorat Catholike & Eccles. Expos. Mathewe (xvi. 32) 346/2 Nothinge can be wantinge to them that followe Christe. a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 1 (1623) i. i. 82 Were our Teares wanting to this Funerall. View more context for this quotation 1640 tr. G. S. du Verdier Love & Armes Greeke Princes ii. xlv. 174 As for my parents,..I may say without vanity, that Crowns are unjustly wanting to their worth. [Fr. que les couronnes manquent iniustement à leurs merites.] 1719 D. Defoe Farther Adventures Robinson Crusoe 60 This Presence of Mind was wanting to them, which was the Ruin of their Tranquillity for a great while. 1772 Polit. Reg. Mar. 148 So long as they have money in their coffers, they are certain, that friends and humble servants will never be wanting to them. 1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. iv. 430 No gift of nature or of fortune seemed to be wanting to her. 1861 F. A. Paley Æschylus' Choephori (ed. 2) 817 By this slight and happy change..an imperative, hitherto wanting to the sentence, is obtained. 1889 W. C. Russell Marooned III. iii. 109 Nothing was wanting to him but his Scotch cap. 1920 H. J. Laski Polit. Thought in Eng. ii. 50 A common political superior there doubtless must be; but government is an organ to which omnipotence is wanting. (b) to be wanting to: (of a person) to fail to help or aid; to fall short of (a standard or expectation); to prove unequal to. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > failure or lack of success > fail in [verb (transitive)] > fail to satisfy expectation, etc. to be wanting to1539 unbeseem1814 1539 T. Paynell tr. St. Cyprian Serm. on Lordes Prayer sig. C.v He that hath god, lacketh nothynge, yf he hym selfe be not wantyng to god. 1568 D. Rowland tr. G. A. Grifoni Comfortable Ayde for Scholers 88 I was neuer wantinge to thine honour. 1640 tr. G. S. du Verdier Love & Armes Greeke Princes i. xliii. 176 When they had all promised rather to dye then be wanting to the duty of a good Knight [Fr. plustost que manquer au deuoir d'vn bon cheualier]. 1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost x. 271 Nor shall I to the work thou enterprisest Be wanting, but afford thee equal aid. View more context for this quotation 1724 W. Crowe Duty Promoting Publick Peace 15 These men were very grossly wanting to the duty I have been insisting on. 1761 D. Hume Hist. Eng. to Henry VII I. i. 17 Cerdic was not wanting to his good fortune. 1868 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest II. vii. 141 The Earl of the West-Saxons was not a man to be wanting to his country at such a moment. 1872 J. H. Newman Hist. Sketches II. Ded. p. vi You have never been wanting to me..when I had occasion in any difficulty to seek your guidance. 1946 Hermathena May 64 Molyneux felt that silence on his part would have shown him wanting to his country, and indeed to mankind. †(c) to be wanting to oneself: to fail to do justice to oneself; to fall below the standard imposed by one's character and abilities. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > failure or lack of success > fail or be unsuccessful [verb (intransitive)] > fail or fall short false?c1225 fault1486 to be wanting to oneself1582 want1643 undershoot1874 to come up short1917 underperform1976 1582 R. Browne Life & Manners all True Christians ii. clxiv. sig. N2^v They faile and are wanting to them selues. 1600 Abp. G. Abbot Expos. Prophet Ionah xxi. 451 True wisedome had taught that honorable Generall, to be no way wanting to himselfe. 1642 D. Rogers Naaman 11 Some alledge God will not be wanting to any who are not wanting to themselves. 1701 W. Wotton Hist. Rome 343 He was mightily wanting also to himself in the choice of his Officers. 1785 W. Cowper Let. 31 Dec. (1981) II. 438 You observe therefore that I am not wanting to myself; he that is so, has no just claim on the assistance of others. 1799 Ann. Reg. 1794 (Otridge ed.) Hist. Europe 89/1 The Vendéans were not wanting to themselves in so terrible a crisis. 1842 Dublin Univ. Mag. June 759 Nor was that brave man wanting to himself or his cause on this trying occasion. 1872 W. H. Jervis Gallican Church II. x. 356 The stout-hearted Christophe de Beaumont, again, was not wanting to himself in the emergency. b. Without to: not present or forthcoming; absent, lacking; missing. ΚΠ a1450 Rule St. Benet (Vesp.) (1902) l. 1505 So þat, if oght wantand be, In whom defaut es, may men se. c1450 Alphabet of Tales (1904) I. 54 So þai lukid aboute þaim, & one of þaim sayd þat þe chamberlayn was wantand. 1546 T. Cranmer in J. Strype Memorials T. Cranmer (1694) ii. i. 144 The Oil, if added, is but a Ceremony: If it be wanting, that King is yet..God's Anointed, as well as if he was inoiled. 1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry i. f. 36 If doung be wantyng to mende the ground withall. 1611 W. Vaughan Spirit of Detraction sig. ^v There is not wanting a sort of suspicious Critickes. 1671 J. Milton Paradise Regain'd* ii. 450 And what in me seems wanting, but that I May also in this poverty as soon Accomplish what they did? View more context for this quotation 1707 tr. P. Le Lorrain de Vallemont Curiosities in Husbandry & Gardening 168 When the Saltseller was wanting, the Table was look'd on as Profane. 1765 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. I. xv. 425 If such consent from the father was wanting, the marriage was null. 1836 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers (1837) ii. 20 Mr. Winkle eagerly watched his opportunity. It was not long wanting. 1837 B. Disraeli Venetia II. 99 The day died away, and still he was wanting. 1867 M. E. Herbert Cradle Lands i. 3 One comfort only was wanting in this hotel, and that was mosquito-nets. 1921 E. Sapir Lang. ix. 212 The peculiar, dull vowel..is entirely wanting in Germanic, Greek, Armenian, and Indo-Iranian. 1986 T. Mo Insular Possession vi. 38 Jonathan, you are right to opine that the means are not wanting. 2009 Independent 3 Oct. 39/4 The consequence of our failure to teach mutuality and respect, and where those are wanting, to instil fear. 2. That lacks, or is without, something. a. Without construction: that is lacking in a required or necessary quality; deficient, inadequate. Frequently in to be found wanting with allusion to, or as an echo of, Daniel 5:27 (see quot. 1568). ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > non-possession > [adjective] > devoid of something > lacking or without wane971 quit?c1225 helpless1362 desolatec1386 wantsomea1400 ungirtc1412 voidc1420 wantinga1475 destitutea1500 unfurnished1541 defect1543 bankrupt1567 frustrate1576 wanting1580 wanting1592 sterile1642 minus1807 lacking1838 to be stuck up for1860 short1873 wanting1874 quits1885 light1936 a1475 Sidrak & Bokkus (Lansd.) (1999) II. l. 11891 Shal euery day deie here mo Of peple þat on þe erþe go Þan shulde into þis world borne be..Þan shulde þe world euere be wantand And euere shulde þe folke be fewand. ?1567 H. Thorne tr. St. J. Chrysostom Phisicke for Soul f. 65^v Ymploy reading, and prayer, that thy mind may be lightned, that thou mayest be made perfite, and honest in all things, wanting in no point. 1568 Bible (Bishops') Dan. v. 27 Thou art wayed in the balaunce, and art founde wanting [1535 Coverdale to light; Hebrew ḥassîr]. 1599 T. Morton Treat. Nature of God ii. 73 For there is no creature in the world..will not bee found wanting in many respects. 1688 T. Ward Errata to Protestant Bible 10 Their Duty..was found wanting upon a second review of the whole Work. 1701 G. Stanhope Law not Destroyed but Established by Gospel 7 It was matter of just indignation to St. Paul, that He and his Doctrine should be thought wanting in respect to Moses and his Institution. 1776 S. Estwick Let. to J. Tucker 11 He complains so heavily of being thought wanting in the sciences more immediately belonging to his clerical profession. 1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 453 His rectitude and piety, tried by strong temptations and never found wanting. 1957 A. Ellis Let. 8 Feb. in I. L. Reiss & A. Ellis At Dawn of Sexual Revol. (2002) 12 Those who have tried numerous lighter sex affairs and found them wanting. 1993 Economist 7 Aug. 30/2 The yardstick against which the anti-establishment Mr Murdoch's paper is commonly compared, contrasted and generally thought wanting. 1999 D. Sobel Galileo's Daughter (2000) xi. 127 If the visitator was wanting, the chaplains were worse. 2012 Independent 22 Nov. 22/2 The eighth manager to be found wanting in as many years. b. With prepositions, specifying what is lacking or absent. †(a) With of. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > non-possession > [adjective] > devoid of something > lacking or without wane971 quit?c1225 helpless1362 desolatec1386 wantsomea1400 ungirtc1412 voidc1420 wantinga1475 destitutea1500 unfurnished1541 defect1543 bankrupt1567 frustrate1576 wanting1580 wanting1592 sterile1642 minus1807 lacking1838 to be stuck up for1860 short1873 wanting1874 quits1885 light1936 1580 T. N. tr. P. Mexía Pleasaunt Dialogue sig. C.i As they were at that time ignorant of learning, and other Arts, so were they wanting of Medicine. 1597 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet ii. i. 120 For life were better ended by their hate, Than death proroged wanting of thy loue. View more context for this quotation 1625 T. Thomas Two Treat. i. 111 A Christian is euer wanting of grace. 1669 Ld. Orrery Parthenissa VI. ii. vii. 242 I give those Kingdoms to you, and your Heirs for ever..and wanting of Heirs, to revert unto my successors again. 1709 D. Manley Secret Mem. 2 Her Limbs enervated and supine, wanting of that Energy that should bear her [etc.]. 1721 R. Bradley Philos. Acct. Wks. Nature 23 It is wanting of Leaves. 1826 T. Dibdin Bundle of Wants in Universal Songster 127/1 A brewing, if wanting of malt, I'm sure, must prove very bad beer. (b) With in. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > non-possession > [adjective] > devoid of something > lacking or without wane971 quit?c1225 helpless1362 desolatec1386 wantsomea1400 ungirtc1412 voidc1420 wantinga1475 destitutea1500 unfurnished1541 defect1543 bankrupt1567 frustrate1576 wanting1580 wanting1592 sterile1642 minus1807 lacking1838 to be stuck up for1860 short1873 wanting1874 quits1885 light1936 1592 Petition Ciuill Dissention 64 Curates should examine Communicants, and seclude them that be found wanting in knowledge. 1624 A. Leighton Speculum Belli Sacri xxxiv. 202 They would be wanting in nothing. 1697 J. Dryden Ded. Ld. Clifford in tr. Virgil Wks. sig. A1 Though England is not wanting in a Learned Nobility. 1724 A. Pope Corr. 1 Aug. (1956) II. 246 And hope..he will not be found wanting in the knowledge of his profession. 1796 J. Owen Trav. Europe II. lxxxiv. 2 The palace.., the public buildings..and the equestrian monument..compose a groupe, which would not be thought wanting in dignity. 1869 H. F. Tozer Res. Highlands of Turkey II. 257 No one..would suspect them of being wanting in fun. 1896 Law Times 100 393/1 The Doctor's reply to Junius was not wanting in incisiveness. 1935 A. Bongiorno & A. Livingston tr. V. Pareto Mind & Society II. vi. 509 Residues correspond to certain instincts in human beings, and for that reason they are usually wanting in definiteness. 1960 T. McLean Kings of Rugby xi. 185 As clubmates, Briscoe and McCullough, were as yet wanting in subtlety. 2000 T. Robbins Fierce Invalids 193 The sad-faced little mercado.., so woefully wanting in goods and goods-buyers. †(c) With for. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > non-possession > [adjective] > devoid of something > lacking or without wane971 quit?c1225 helpless1362 desolatec1386 wantsomea1400 ungirtc1412 voidc1420 wantinga1475 destitutea1500 unfurnished1541 defect1543 bankrupt1567 frustrate1576 wanting1580 wanting1592 sterile1642 minus1807 lacking1838 to be stuck up for1860 short1873 wanting1874 quits1885 light1936 1874 G. W. Dasent Half a Life I. 115 As I was wanting for a nickname,..I was called ‘the Companion of the Bath’. †3. That falls short of being a particular age, weight, or size. With of specifying the age, weight, or size. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > life > source or principle of life > age > [adjective] > younger than an age wanting1601 1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World I. vi. xxxiii. 150 Europe is little wanting [L. paulo minus] of halfe as bigge againe as Asia. 1709 D. Manley Secret Mem. (ed. 2) II. 184 I was then wanting of Fourteen. 1829 Sporting Mag. July 163/2 The lad who rode Lord Kelburne's colt, on coming to the scales to weigh, was found no way wanting of seven stone. 1859 Peterson's Mag. July 31 ‘Why, aunty, when did they stop doing that?’ interrupted cousin Jack, a rather forward boy, not wanting of thirteen. †4. Needed for a particular purpose; requisite, necessary. Frequently with for. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > necessity > condition of being necessary > [adjective] needfulOE necessaryc1376 needfulc1390 necessairea1393 needfula1402 necessariousc1410 requisite1442 unlackablec1443 unsparablec1449 necessc1475 requise1477 needy1487 exigentc1508 of necessityc1515 essential1526 insacrificablea1603 peremptory1607 unspared1614 sine qua non1615 real1620 necessitous1637 needsomec1650 undispensable1658 vital1659 wanting1671 implemental1676 sine quo non1693 indispensable1696 indispensible1792 vital1822 unmissable1823 of the essence (of)1843 1671 J. Brown Horologiographia v. 72 You shall find, that long Rulers and Lines will be wanting for a small Dial. 1687 M. B. Whiting Let. 1 May in R. Law Eng. in W. Afr. (2001) II. 293 Matterialls now wanting for the Castle are cathridge paper, tarris, spunge nailes, and three or four canky stones. 1700 T. Bray Memorial 14 Considering the Extent of that Knot of little Islands, Three Missionaries at least will be wanting there. 1756 G. Washington Let. 24 Apr. in Writings (1889) I. 261 To carry on all these works, a number of tools..will be absolutely wanting. 1797 A. M. Bennett Beggar Girl II. xvi. 305 Mrs. Buhanun's first plan was to take such a number of servants with her as would be wanting to attend on her husband. 1801 M. Edgeworth Prussian Vase in Moral Tales III. 67 She added, that the count had written all that was wanting for her. 1822 A. B. Carson Hist. 196 I inquired could those assistants be obtained? he replied yes, for money he would procure as many as was wanting for that purpose. †5. With infinitive. Slow or backward to do something. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > slowness of action or operation > [adjective] > slow to act or dilatory slowOE tediousc1485 longsome1543 dilatorya1616 sliving1661 wanting1691 traa dy liooar1878 spare- 1691 A. Gavin Frauds Romish Monks (ed. 3) 286 The Monk was extraordinarily applauded for this his curious Thought, and he was not wanting to make good use of it. a1695 (c1603) Life Mr. W. Whittingham 35 in Camden Misc. (1871) VI But neither yet was God wanting to punish the malice and wickednesse shewed in this action. 1711 Hymn to be sung at Anniversary-meeting of Charity Schools (single sheet) Should we be wanting to rejoice Thro' Deadness or Delays The Stones themselves would find a Voice To celebrate his Praise. 1755 N. Magens Ess. Insurances II. 119 All those that are wanting to do their Duty in this Respect, shall be obliged to make Satisfaction. 6. Chiefly Scottish, Irish English (northern), and English regional (northern and north midlands). Having a low learning ability or intellectual capacity; deficient in intelligence. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > weakness of intellect > [adjective] sickc1340 dottlec1390 doting1489 dotish1509 feeble-minded1534 weak-brained1535 silly1568 fondish1579 lean-witted1597 soft1621 weaka1661 touched1697 muzzy-headed1798 defective1825 wanting1839 half-baked1842 dotty1860 knock-kneed1865 lean-minded1867 doddering1871 weak-minded1883 ninepence in the shilling1889 barmy1892 drippy1952 dipshit1968 1839 C. Dickens Nicholas Nickleby xxxiv. 331 ‘He was a little wanting here,’ touching his forehead. 1877 F. Ross et al. Gloss. Words Holderness (at cited word) You moant tak nooatis o' what he says; he's a bit wantin. 1911 Times 12 July 11/3 Making him seem to be what village-people call ‘wanting’. 1924 J. Buchan Three Hostages vi. 85 Had something given in my brain last night..so that now I was what people call ‘wanting’? 1976 ‘J. Bell’ Trouble in Hunter Ward xvii. 180 Maisie, poor mite, wanting from birth, she was. 1995 J. Barclay Paras over the Barras (2002) v. 68 She is no' the type to choose somebody who is..er..wanting. II. In attributive use. 7. Not present; absent, missing. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the world > space > place > absence > [adjective] > absent, lost, or lacking absenta1398 wanting?a1425 lacking1480 alacka1529 void1554 defaulting1584 lacked1590 lack1591 destituent1660 unaccounted1799 truant1869 ?a1425 Erthe upon Erthe (Trin. Cambr. B.15.39) (1911) 49 Out of þis erþe cam to þis erþe þis wantinge grarnement [read garnement]. 1573 Aldeburgh Rec. in Notes & Queries (1920) 12th Ser. 7 226/2 To Jeaffrye Freman for a wanton [sic] Box that barker loste, xii^d. 1683 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises II. 354 He Sets out..a Quire..to make good the wanting Sheets. 1685 J. Evelyn Diary (1955) IV. 469 Then they spake of the boy who was pretended to have had a wanting leg restor'd him. 1851 J. J. Sylvester in London, Edinb., & Dublin Philos. Mag. 4th Ser. 2 229 It is difficult to see how the wanting factor escapes detection. 1854 H. Miller My Schools & Schoolmasters 302 Many a wanting feature had to be supplied. 1915 Blackwood's Mag. Aug. 232/1 By no searching in his girdle..could he produce the wanting money. 1935 R. R. Kuczynski Measurem. of Population Growth, Methods & Results v. 166 The device which Halley applied in order to supply the wanting number of inhabitants was most ingenious. †8. That is lacking or deficient in something implied by the context. More generally: lacking money or the necessaries of life; poor, needy. Also in nominalized phrases (e.g. in quots. 1685 and 1747). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > quantity > insufficiency > [adjective] > deficient or wanting wanec825 thurfec1175 lacking1480 indigent1531 defect1543 awanting1583 missed1584 wanting1592 defective1603 wanted1619 half-baked1627 deficient1632 manqué1773 the mind > possession > non-possession > [adjective] > devoid of something > lacking or without > poorly supplied or equipped barec1220 poora1250 leana1340 nakedc1380 indigent1426 wanting1592 slender1722 1592 N. Gyer Eng. Phlebotomy 28 For the emptied and wanting partes by the long small veines draw bloud forth of the full partes, & repleated members. a1625 J. Fletcher Wit without Money (1639) ii. sig. D2^v I have not seene a Gentleman so backward, a wanting Gentleman. 1657 S. Purchas Theatre Flying-insects 338 Bees though..they have sufficiently stored and replenished their hives..; yet will they not give over working; nay some, not leave robbing and that from the weaker and wanting hives. 1683 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises II. 309 He thrusts the Wooll from the bunching-out side, towards the wanting side. 1685 W. Petty Will in Trans. Royal Irish Acad.: Antiq. (1873) 24 114 I give twenty pounds to the most wanting of the parish wherein I dye. 1727 J. Swift Let. 9 July in Corr. (1963) III. 223 Thus wanting people are like drowning people, who lay hold of every reed or bulrush in their way. 1747 Codicil to Will of Walter, Ld. Aston in J. O. Payne Rec. Eng. Catholics (1889) 23 £50 to the two bishops..to give to the most pious and wanting of their clergy to pray for me. 1826 J. Galt Last of Lairds xx. 177 It would not become women in our position to be visiting a wanting man. 9. a. That seeks or desires material wealth or possessions; greedy, acquisitive. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > wish or inclination > desire > inordinate or excessive desire > [adjective] > inordinately desirous of possessions greedya1000 overgreedyOE avarous1303 covetous1340 concupiscible1398 avaricious1474 silver-sick?a1500 lucrous1511 having1528 lucrative1549 concupiscentious1555 holding1569 griping?1573 concupiscential1577 over-havinga1600 gripulous1614 ingordigious1637 concupitive1651 appropriative1655 lucripetous1675 coveting1699 grasping1747 concupiscenta1834 acquisitive1846 pleonectic1858 big-eye1868 wanting1876 possessive1889 grabby1910 gold-digging1925 territorial1966 1876 R. Browning Pacchiarotto & Other Poems 156 Robbed and impoverished through the wanting wife. 1903 Q. Oregon Hist. Soc. Mar. 51 Ah, man! you are, indeed, a wanting animal, one whose wants are ever multiplying. 1926 Nation & Athenæum 3 Apr. 14/1 ‘She..ask for coffin handles as bright as they gates.’ ‘She were always a wanting woman,’ said Mrs. Pring. 2014 V. I. Sreenivas Journey toward Greater Happiness iv. 37 When we gain a desired object we feel happy... The wanting personality has temporarily receded. b. Having or showing (sexual) desire or longing; passionate; ardent. Cf. want v. 9d. ΚΠ 1922 R. D. Richberg Man of Purpose viii. 85 All that I am today wants you. All that I know to-night is that I am a wanting man and you are the dearest, most wonderful woman. 1959 E. F. Brown Lusts Don Dashell xxv. 399 He would rather explore the phenomena of love than indulge in its delights. That would be terrible to a wanting woman. 2013 D. Gatesbury Haunting of Stathmore Heights xix. 197 Reopening my eyes, I saw a wanting desire in his gleaming eyes. Derivatives ˈwantingness n. †(a) the fact of lacking something; deficiency, want (obsolete); (b) the fact of wanting to do something; desire for something. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > non-possession > [noun] > state of being devoid of something > lacking or being without something missOE tharningc1175 missinga1375 lacking1377 wantingc1390 necessitya1393 destitutiona1440 poverty?1440 misture1563 unprovidedness1606 unprovision1631 wantingness1643 carency1655 nudity1656 destituteness1818 1643 C. Herle Answer to Fernes Reply 14 The maine ends..are..supply of wantingnesse, allay of wilfulnesse. a1866 J. Grote Treat. Moral Ideals (1876) ii. 24 The wantingness which is the call to action. 1891 Wilson's Photogr. Mag. 7 Mar. 141/1 This need not be if there is a willingness and a wanting-ness to learn. 1916 ‘L. Malet’ Damaris ii. vii. 116 It was a policy bold, surely,..thus to weigh her in the balances, find her wanting, and acclaim that same wantingness as safeguard against his own passion? 1967 G. B. Mair Girl from Peking v. 65 The wanting-ness..made her tingle with lust. 1997 Guardian 10 May (The Week section) 2/5 Her whole show is based on this powerful wantingness at the heart of America: people want to talk. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2016; most recently modified version published online December 2021). < n.c1390adj.a1400
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wantingn.

wantingadj.

Derivatives