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.
Picking up temporary work right now, even if it’s not in your field or at your desired pay level, could help keep you afloat while you look for long-term employment.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Don’t use your sous-vide bath, should you be so fortunate as to have one, cooking the steak for hours until it reaches the desired temperature and then finishing with a quick sear.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The models were doing exactly what they were supposed to do: going for the desired result with 100% effort, in the way it deemed most efficient.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
In other words, the detector may be able to select the desired events while rejecting many unrelated signals.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026
Masvita was sweet-tempered, though, and Nhamo had to admit her own manners left a lot to be desired.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
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.
