desire
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
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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.
-
something desired.
-
sexual appetite or a sexual urge.
verb
-
to wish or long for; crave; want
-
to express a wish or make a request for; ask for
noun
-
a wish or longing; craving
-
an expressed wish; request
-
sexual appetite; lust
-
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.
Related Words
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
- desiredly adverb
- desiredness noun
- desireless adjective
- desirer noun
- desiringly adverb
- overdesire noun
- self-desire noun
- undesiring adjective
Etymology
Origin of desire
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English desiren, from Old French desirer, from Latin dēsīderāre; desiderate ( def. )
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.
Following the latest revelations, historian David Olusoga told BBC Newsnight there is now "a desperate desire within government and within the palace to draw a firewall… between this crisis and the wider monarchy".
From BBC
It’s true that forced treatment doesn’t always get the desired outcome, and can backfire if it makes the person more resistant to treatment.
From Los Angeles Times
The goal of this trend “is a desire to rebalance time and energy and reduce distractability and related stress,” said Khodayari, whose research focuses on the mechanisms of attention and emotion.
From Los Angeles Times
“Although there’s some desire to especially fix what happened in L.A., there wasn’t an overwhelming desire to roll it back,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times
The auto maker said the charges “largely reflect the cost of over-estimating the pace of the energy transition that distanced us from many car buyers’ real-world needs, means, and desires.”
From Barron's
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.
