Wanting

mediumNegative tone

WON-ting

adjective

Definition

Lacking in a certain required quality; deficient

Memory hook

Found WANTING = found to be LACKING — deficient and inadequate in quality.

See more GRE words with mnemonics.

Examples

The proposal was found wanting in several areas.
His leadership was wanting in critical moments.

Test yourself

Fill in the blank with the right word:

The proposal was found ______ in several areas.
Show answer

wanting

Synonyms

deficientlackinginadequateinsufficient

Antonyms

sufficientadequateamplereplete

Categories

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GRE Tip

Wanting is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "deficient" or "lacking" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "sufficient".

Read: How to Memorize GRE Words That Actually Stick

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