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.
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something desired.
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sexual appetite or a sexual urge.
verb
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to wish or long for; crave; want
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to express a wish or make a request for; ask for
noun
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a wish or longing; craving
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an expressed wish; request
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sexual appetite; lust
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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.
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
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desirednessnoun
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desirernoun
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overdesirenoun
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self-desirenoun
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desirelessadjective
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undesiringadjective
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desiredlyadverb
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desiringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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desiresimple
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desiressimple
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have desiredperfect
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has desiredperfect
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am desiringprogressive
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are desiringprogressive
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is desiringprogressive
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have been desiringperfect progressive
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has been desiringperfect progressive
Past
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desiredsimple
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had desiredperfect
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was desiringprogressive
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were desiringprogressive
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had been desiringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of desire
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English desiren, from Old French desirer, from Latin dēsīderāre; see desiderate ( def. )
Explanation
If you're talking about the longings of the heart, use the word desire. When you are studying for a difficult history exam, the desire to be somewhere far away doing something fun might be very strong! Desire can be used as both a noun and a verb. Is your boyfriend your heart's desire? Your parents probably desire your punctual appearance at the dinner table every evening. Desire is usually used not just when you long for any old thing, but for something that is associated with giving great pleasure. Thus, you might want to get an A on a test, but you desire a piece of chocolate cake.
Vocabulary lists containing desire
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"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act IV
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
See Examples For:
Afterwards, Rubio restated Washington's desire to play a "constructive" role to end the war but was wary of Moscow's proposals.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
However, they also activated the central amygdala, an area involved in desire and reward.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026
He describes a desire for a "new political model and a new economic model".
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
“They have a desire to test red lines and see if they can set new ones,” said Baron at the New America think tank.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Above all, they sharpened her desire to make something of her own life.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Converts say spreadsheets turn their desires into packaged datasets that they can analyze for patterns—anything from “I typically catch feelings after the fourth date” to “my best dates tend to work in engineering.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
He desires respectability, but savors the buzz, the camaraderie — the honor among thieves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
To extricate itself, Unilever eventually transferred to the Israeli licensee the assets needed to sell Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in Israel and its territories—for as long as he desires.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Early is so certain of everything he wants his debut film to be, and executes those desires with such consistent dexterity and style that watching “Maddie’s Secret” is akin to seeing someone win the lottery.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
As he put it, “Public schools reflect a community’s desires, feelings, dreams,” and nowhere did those dreams unfold more powerfully than they did on a football held.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
"It's going to continue to be worked upon, potentially expanded despite evidence crying out that it's not have the impact that's desired."
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
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
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
“Appropriate behaviors have to be shaped—shaped through successive approximations to the desired behavior,” says Darrow.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Huckabee reportedly told embassy staff in an email there was "no need to panic, but for those desiring to leave, it's important to make plans to depart sooner rather than later".
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026
The motivations for septuagenarian entrepreneurs include desiring autonomy, pursuing meaningful projects and addressing societal needs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2025
That’s when someone falsely accuses one’s perceived opponents of conducting, plotting or desiring to commit the same transgressions that one plans to commit or is already committing.
From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2025
She had a predilection for painting women as modern, urban, desiring.
From New York Times ● Apr. 1, 2024
“You needn’t, sir,” said I, desiring no conversation.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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.
