desired
Americanadjective
-
yearned or wished for; coveted.
-
deemed correct or proper; selected; required.
The chef added stock until the sauce reached the desired consistency.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of desired
A Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at desire, -ed 2
Explanation
Anything desired is sought after. Money and love are desired by just about everyone. If your moony eyes don’t have the desired effect, then you’re still not getting seconds on dessert. If you desire something, you crave it. Something desired, then, is an object of desire. A desired job is one that many people seek. A desired cake looks delicious — you see it and you want to have it. When a type of clothing becomes popular, it’s desired by many. Some things are desired because they are rare, like a comic book with the first appearance of Batman. Anything desired is coveted.
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.
Desired qualities in a candidate include being “highly motivated and somewhat bloodthirsty” and having a “swashbuckling attitude, crafty humor and general aura of badassery,” per the listing.
From Washington Times • Dec. 2, 2022
Desired effects will increasingly be attained through the interaction of multiple systems, each one sharing information and empowering one another for a common purpose.…”
From Fox News • Apr. 22, 2019
Desired Earth is the name of the fragrance from parfumerie the Harmonist.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2018
Now nearly 15 years into his career at the helm of The Killers, Flowers has released his second solo album, The Desired Effect, a follow-up to 2010’s Flamingo.
From Time • May 19, 2015
Must Work Toward Desired Permanency in Marriage.—This means a quite new approach to the problems of marriage and divorce.
From The Family and it's Members by Spencer, Anna Garlin
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.
