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
Derived 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.
I asked Bores what he thought of it, and he said the premise was flawed, saying it’s the framing desired by the groups that want to sink his candidacy.
From Slate • Jun. 2, 2026
Austin received a call from Doll Beauty HQ, a salon in Chester, two weeks before the big day asking if she could produce the finger wave style that Venezuela desired.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
But in the world of geopolitics, and especially in the case of a complicated Middle East, Trump may find it more difficult to achieve his desired outcomes.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
To test the technique, the team created specialized platinum "contact lenses" shaped to match the desired curvature of the cornea.
From Science Daily • May 28, 2026
Second, Mrs. Caruthers’s choice of literature left something to be desired.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
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.
