desire
Americanverb (used with object)
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desires,
present (3rd person singular)
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desired,
past participle, past
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desiring
present participle
noun
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desires
plural
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a longing or craving, as for something that brings satisfaction or enjoyment.
a desire for fame.
- Synonyms:
- thirst, appetite, hunger, aspiration
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an expressed wish; request.
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something desired.
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sexual appetite or a sexual urge.
verb
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to wish or long for; crave; want
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to express a wish or make a request for; ask for
noun
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a wish or longing; craving
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an expressed wish; request
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sexual appetite; lust
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a person or thing that is desired
Usage
What are other ways to say desire? To desire something or someone is to crave or long for them. How is desire different from want and wish? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Synonym Usage
Desire, craving, longing, yearning suggest feelings that impel one to the attainment or possession of something. Desire is a strong feeling, worthy or unworthy, that impels to the attainment or possession of something that is (in reality or imagination) within reach: a desire for success. Craving implies a deep and imperative wish for something, based on a sense of need and hunger: a craving for food, companionship. A longing is an intense wish, generally repeated or enduring, for something that is at the moment beyond reach but may be attainable at some future time: a longing to visit Europe. Yearning suggests persistent, uneasy, and sometimes wistful or tender longing: a yearning for one's native land.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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desirednessnoun
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desirernoun
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overdesirenoun
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self-desirenoun
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desirelessadjective
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undesiringadjective
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desiredlyadverb
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desiringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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desiresimple
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desiressimple
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have desiredperfect
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has desiredperfect
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am desiringprogressive
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are desiringprogressive
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is desiringprogressive
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have been desiringperfect progressive
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has been desiringperfect progressive
Past
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desiredsimple
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had desiredperfect
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was desiringprogressive
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were desiringprogressive
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had been desiringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of desire
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English desiren, from Old French desirer, from Latin dēsīderāre; see desiderate ( def. )
Explanation
If you're talking about the longings of the heart, use the word desire. When you are studying for a difficult history exam, the desire to be somewhere far away doing something fun might be very strong! Desire can be used as both a noun and a verb. Is your boyfriend your heart's desire? Your parents probably desire your punctual appearance at the dinner table every evening. Desire is usually used not just when you long for any old thing, but for something that is associated with giving great pleasure. Thus, you might want to get an A on a test, but you desire a piece of chocolate cake.
Vocabulary lists containing desire
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"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act IV
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He adopted the name "Rangzen" which means "independence" -- echoing his desire for an independent Tibet.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Over the next year, Cain, Reyes and Baker grew closer as fellow members of the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group, bonding over their desire to preserve the town’s historic character, especially its Victorian homes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Jenner has often spoken about the pain of all this attention and her desire to step back to protect her children.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026
With fiduciary responsibility, Mr. Reynolds says, “I think a lot of hidden agendas go away. Advice has to be in the client’s best interest, not motivated by a desire to run up the bill.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
They reasoned that if he registered for the draft, then the FBI wouldn't have any desire to question him.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
This may point to a mismatch where graduates aren’t building experience in the industries suited to their skills or desires.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Part of their unofficial relationship homework involves field missions that spark heated conversations about masculine insecurity and Diarra’s conflicted desires about motherhood.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
To extricate itself, Unilever eventually transferred to the Israeli licensee the assets needed to sell Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in Israel and its territories—for as long as he desires.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
With those pillars cemented, Pelinka’s job is delivering the A-list center Doncic reportedly desires.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026
She shrugged again, a silent comment about the inexplicable desires of the nobility.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
It has a team working off of a master list of desired tenants, boosting Burbank for consideration for popular shops, restaurants and cafes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Another issue stymieing fundraising is the perception among some investors that they haven’t seen the desired liquidity from their Asian investments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Microwave frying by itself, however, did not produce the desired texture.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
For everyday investors, the risk here is that diversifying away from the U.S. might not be having its desired effect.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
“Appropriate behaviors have to be shaped—shaped through successive approximations to the desired behavior,” says Darrow.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Huckabee reportedly told embassy staff in an email there was "no need to panic, but for those desiring to leave, it's important to make plans to depart sooner rather than later".
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026
The motivations for septuagenarian entrepreneurs include desiring autonomy, pursuing meaningful projects and addressing societal needs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2025
She had a predilection for painting women as modern, urban, desiring.
From New York Times ● Apr. 1, 2024
Of course, neither desiring a mental boost nor consuming a beverage marketed to do just that is a problem.
From Salon ● Jan. 27, 2024
“You needn’t, sir,” said I, desiring no conversation.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
