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.
Under light exposure, these compounds typically undergo unwanted side reactions that interfere with the desired process.
From Science Daily • May 20, 2026
The Center for Strategic and International Studies, another think tank in Washington, said in late April that "restoring depleted stockpiles and then achieving the desired inventory levels will take many years."
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
Its command-and-control Maven Smart System is set to become an official program of record, a highly desired status for defense contracts.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
American pistachios are cultivated for maximum output and size, which is a desired quality for traders, but can also undermine the taste and complexities of the nut, some argue.
From Salon • May 6, 2026
‘But I wish that he had come this way. I desired to tell Master Gimli that my tale is now thirty-nine.’
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
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.
