Dearth vs. Want — What's the Difference?

A scarce supply; a lack

The idea of want can be examined from many perspectives. In secular societies want might be considered similar to the emotion desire, which can be studied scientifically through the disciplines of psychology or sociology.

Shortage of food; famine.

Have a desire to possess or do (something); wish for

A period or condition when food is rare and hence expensive; famine.

Should or need to do something

(by extension) Scarcity; a lack or short supply.

Lack something desirable or essential

(obsolete) Dearness; the quality of being rare or costly.

A lack or deficiency of something

Scarcity which renders dear; want; lack; specifically, lack of food on account of failure of crops; famine.

A desire for something

An acute insufficiency

To have a strong feeling to have (something); wish (to possess or do something); desire greatly

An insufficient quantity or number

To desire (someone to do something)

To request the presence or assistance of

To seek with intent to capture

To have an inclination toward; like

(Informal) To be obliged (to do something)

To be in need of; require

To be without; lack.

To be inclined or desirous; wish

The condition or quality of lacking something usual or necessary

Pressing need; destitution

Something desired

A defect of character; a fault.

(transitive) To wish for or desire (something); to feel a need or desire for; to crave or demand.

(by extension) To make it easy or tempting to do something undesirable, or to make it hard or challenging to refrain from doing it.

To wish, desire, or demand to see, have the presence of or do business with.

(intransitive) To desire (to experience desire); to wish.

To lack and be in need of or require (something, such as a noun or verbal noun).

To have occasion for (something requisite or useful); to require or need.

To be lacking or deficient or absent.

To be in a state of destitution; to be needy; to lack.

To lack and be without, to not have (something).

To lack and (be able to) do without.

(countable) A desire, wish, longing.

Lack, absence, deficiency.

(uncountable) Poverty.

Something needed or desired; a thing of which the loss is felt.

A depression in coal strata, hollowed out before the subsequent deposition took place.

(dialectal) A mole (Talpa europea).

The state of not having; the condition of being without anything; absence or scarcity of what is needed or desired; deficiency; lack; as, a want of power or knowledge for any purpose; want of food and clothing.

Specifically, absence or lack of necessaries; destitution; poverty; penury; indigence; need.

That which is needed or desired; a thing of which the loss is felt; what is not possessed, and is necessary for use or pleasure.

A depression in coal strata, hollowed out before the subsequent deposition took place.

To be without; to be destitute of, or deficient in; not to have; to lack; as, to want knowledge; to want judgment; to want learning; to want food and clothing.

To have occasion for, as useful, proper, or requisite; to require; to need; as, in winter we want a fire; in summer we want cooling breezes.

To feel need of; to wish or long for; to desire; to crave.

To be absent; to be deficient or lacking; to fail; not to be sufficient; to fall or come short; to lack; - often used impersonally with of; as, it wants ten minutes of four.

To be in a state of destitution; to be needy; to lack.

A state of extreme poverty

The state of needing something that is absent or unavailable;

Anything that is necessary but lacking;

A specific feeling of desire;

Feel or have a desire for; want strongly;

Have need of;

Wish or demand the presence of;

Hunt or look for; want for a particular reason;

Be without, lack; be deficient in;