desired

American

[dih-zahyuhrd] / dɪˈzaɪərd /

adjective

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

undesired adjective
well-desired adjective

Etymology

Origin of desired

A Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; 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.

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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.

However, microwave frying alone does not produce the desired texture.

From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026

As she worked on Go Gentle, her heroine turned into a sage who desired only what she had and cheerily accepted whatever fate threw at her.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

This requires understanding context, the desired intent and having the ability to act in that moment.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

"In my view, the build-up to and coverage of the game itself left a lot to be desired on those particular scores."

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

“A friend of mine desired me to offer—a story—just as an experiment—would like your opinion—be glad to write more if this suits.”

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023