adjective

wanting

lacking, deficient, not good enough

His performance was found wanting.

His performance was found wanting.

They were not wanting in courage.

They were not wanting in courage.

((as an adjective)) lacking or not good enough His performance was found wanting.

Synonyms: lacking, deficient, inadequate; Antonyms: sufficient, adequate

The present participle of 'want'. The verb 'want' originally meant 'to lack', and this adjective retains that older meaning.

If something is 'wanting', it makes you 'want' something better. This connects the adjective's meaning ('lacking') to the verb's common meaning ('desire').

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.