past and past participle
Felt a desire to have something or do something at an earlier time.
I wanted a quiet room.
She has always wanted to visit Arizona.
American English
How to pronounce wanted
verb · adjectiveA1Very common word
WUHNtihd
/ˈwən.tɪd̚/
2 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
Form of want
Wanted is used for both the past form and the past participle of want.
Felt a desire to have something or do something at an earlier time.
What to listen for
“Wanted” is usually pronounced “want-id” (/ˈwəntɪd/). In natural connected speech, you may also hear “wan-id” (/ˈwənɪd/) when the /t/ is dropped.
Meanings & examples
past and past participle
Requested or said that you would like to receive or use something, especially when buying or ordering it, at an earlier time.
We wanted a table for four.
She had wanted a refund, but the store refused.
adjective
Sought by the police because of a suspected crime.
The police said the suspect was wanted.
He was wanted for robbery.
Good to know
In wanted by the police, wanted means that the police are looking for someone, not that the person desired something.
Useful expressions
to refuse to be involved with someone or something
I want nothing to do with that dishonest deal.
because something needed is missing
The match was canceled for want of a referee.
to want to leave a situation
After one week, she wanted out of the project.