Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense desires, present participle desiring, past tense, past participle desired
1. countable noun [oft NOUN to-infinitive]
A desire is a strong wish to do or have something.
I had a strong desire to help and care for people.
They seem to have lost their desire for life. [+ for]
Synonyms: wish, want, longing, need More Synonyms of desire
2. verb [no cont]
If you desire something, you want it.
[formal]
She had remarried and desired a child with her new husband. [VERB noun]
But Fred was bored and desired to go home. [VERB to-infinitive]
He desired me to inform her that he had made his peace with God. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
desiredadjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You may find that just threatening this course of action will produce the desiredeffect.
His warnings have provoked the desired response.
Synonyms: required, necessary, correct, appropriate More Synonyms of desire
Synonyms: intended, wanted, wished for, needed More Synonyms of desire
3. uncountable noun
Desire for someone is a strong feeling of wanting to have sex with them.
Teenage sex, for instance, may come not out of genuine desire but from a need toget love.
Synonyms: lust, passion, libido, appetite More Synonyms of desire
4. verb [no cont]
If you desire someone, you want to have sex with them.
It never occurred to him that she might not desire him. [VERB noun]
5.
See if desired
6.
See one's heart's desire
7.
See to leave a lot to be desired
More Synonyms of desire
desire in British English
(dɪˈzaɪə)
verb(transitive)
1.
to wish or long for; crave; want
2.
to express a wish or make a request for; ask for
noun
3.
a wish or longing; craving
4.
an expressed wish; request
5.
sexual appetite; lust
6.
a person or thing that is desired
▶ Related adjective: orectic
Derived forms
desirer (deˈsirer)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Old French desirer, from Latin dēsīderāre to desire earnestly; see desiderate
desire in American English
(dɪˈzaɪr)
verb transitiveWord forms: deˈsired or deˈsiring
1.
to wish or long for; crave; covet
2.
to ask for; request
3.
to want sexually
verb intransitive
4.
to have or feel a desire
noun
5.
a strong wish or craving
6.
sexual appetite; lust
7.
an asking for something; request
8.
a thing or person desired
SYNONYMY NOTE: desire, generally interchangeable with the other words here in the sense of ‘to long for,’stresses intensity or ardor [to desire success]; wish is not so strong a term as , desire and has special application when an unrealizable longing is meant [he wished summer were here]; want, specifically suggesting a longing for something lacking or needed, generally isa more informal equivalent of , wish [she wants, or wishes, to go with us]; crave suggests desire to gratify a physical appetite or an urgent need [to crave affection]
Word origin
ME desiren < OFr desirer < L desiderare, orig., prob., to await from the stars < de-, from + sidus, star: see sidereal
COBUILD Collocations
desire
burning desire
genuine desire
secret desire
Examples of 'desire' in a sentence
desire
Tell him you feel used rather than loved and desired for yourself.
The Sun (2017)
It is also what the people desire.
The Sun (2016)
Families expressed an increased desire to save but savings rarely increased.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
You can understand his desire to get away.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Facing death has given me an overwhelming desire to do something with more purpose and depth than my previous career.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
His desire to enjoy life while he is still able suggests that rental property may be the wrong investment for him.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Those whom you love may see your desire to escape as an affront, a rejection.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The new President is a big fan of our buccaneering desire to go it alone.
The Sun (2017)
Somehow, in such situations, we are overwhelmed by a desire to help.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Your marriage is at risk if you neglect making each other feel loved and desired.
The Sun (2015)
To combine the intellectual challenge with my desire to help people in times of crisis.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The strong desire people have to remain consistent with their public pronouncements.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
You need that burning desire to want to play in front of more and more people.
The Sun (2015)
The desire to seem a little more impressive than you actually are is only natural.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
They need to find the desire right from the off next year.
The Sun (2015)
Your desire in life is power and prestige.
The Sun (2014)
We showed the desire to get a result is huge.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You may desire her but your manner speaks little of it.
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss THE WOLF AND THE DOVE
The threat did not have its desired effect.
Benjamin Woolley THE HERBALIST: Nicholas Culpeper Rebel Physician (2004)
Where was the desire to come forward and get the job done?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Their pleasures derive from fulfilling internal wishes and desires and they find solitude easy to bear.
Knowles, Jane Know Your Own Mind (1991)
Walk around the street while imagining the person you desire to be humbled.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Your psychic sector is switched on so you are tuned in to feelings and desires.
The Sun (2011)
He wants to work with players again and he has all that experience to go with the desire.
The Sun (2007)
Quotations
We do not succeed in changing things according to our desire, but gradually our desire changesMarcel ProustRemembrance of Things Past
There are two tragedies in life. One is not to get your heart's desire. The other is to get itGeorge Bernard ShawMan and Superman
If you desire many things, many things will seem but a fewBenjamin FranklinPoor Richard's Almanack
In other languages
desire
British English: desire /dɪˈzaɪə/ NOUN
A desire is a strong wish to do or have something.
I had a strong desire to help and care for people.
American English: desire
Arabic: رَغْبَة
Brazilian Portuguese: desejo
Chinese: 愿望
Croatian: želja
Czech: touha
Danish: begær
Dutch: verlangen
European Spanish: deseo sexual
Finnish: halu
French: désir
German: Verlangen
Greek: πόθος
Italian: desiderio
Japanese: 希望
Korean: 욕구
Norwegian: ønske
Polish: życzenie pragnienie
European Portuguese: desejo
Romanian: dorință
Russian: желание
Latin American Spanish: deseo
Swedish: åtrå
Thai: ความปรารถนา
Turkish: arzu
Ukrainian: бажання
Vietnamese: sự mong muốn
British English: desire /dɪˈzaɪə/ VERB
If you desire something, you want it.
She had remarried and desired a child with her new husband.
American English: desire
Arabic: يَرْغَبُ
Brazilian Portuguese: desejar
Chinese: 渴望
Croatian: željeti
Czech: toužit
Danish: begære
Dutch: verlangen
European Spanish: desear sexualmente
Finnish: haluta
French: désirer
German: haben wollen
Greek: ποθώ
Italian: desiderare
Japanese: 希望する
Korean: 바라다
Norwegian: ønske
Polish: zażyczyć sobie
European Portuguese: desejar
Romanian: a dori
Russian: желать
Latin American Spanish: desear
Swedish: önska (sig)
Thai: ปรารถนา
Turkish: arzu etmek
Ukrainian: бажати
Vietnamese: mong muốn
Chinese translation of 'desire'
desire
(dɪˈzaɪəʳ)
n
(c) (frm, = urge) 愿(願)望 (yuànwàng) (个(個), gè)
(u) (sexual) 情欲(慾) (qíngyù)
vt
(frm, = want) 想望 (xiǎngwàng)
(sexually) 想要 (xiǎngyào)
to desire to do sth想望做某事 (xiǎngwàng zuò mǒushì)
the desired effect/result期望的效果/结(結)果 (qīwàng de xiàoguǒ/jiéguǒ)
1 (verb)
Definition
to want very much
He was bored and desired change in his life.
Synonyms
want
My husband really wants a new car.
long for
crave
There may be certain times of day when smokers crave a cigarette.
fancy (informal)
I just fancied a drink.
hope for
ache for
covet
She coveted his job so openly that conversations between them were tense.
aspire to
people who aspire to public office
wish for
They wished for a son or daughter to carry on the family business.
yearn for
thirst for
hanker after
I hankered after a floor-length suede coat.
set your heart on
desiderate
2 (verb)
Definition
to request
(formal)
His Majesty desires me to make his wishes known to you.
Synonyms
request
They requested him to leave.
ask
We had to ask him to leave.
petition
She is petitioning to regain ownership of the business.
solicit
She was soliciting a donation from a rich tycoon.
entreat
They entreated the audience to stay calm.
importune (formal)
beggars importuning passers-by
1 (noun)
Definition
a wish or longing
I had a strong desire to help and care for people.
Synonyms
wish
Clearly she had no wish for his company.
want
The company needs to respond to the wants of our customers.
longing
He felt a longing for the familiar.
need
The need for revenge kept eating at me.
hope
Kevin hasn't given up hope of being fit.
urge
He had an urge to open a shop of his own.
yen (informal)
Mike had a yen to try cycling.
hunger
He has a hunger for success that seems bottomless.
appetite
our growing appetite for scandal
aspiration
the needs and aspirations of our pupils
ache
an overwhelming ache for support from others
craving
I had a sudden craving for a cheese sandwich.
yearning
He spoke of his yearning for another child.
inclination
He had neither the time nor the inclination to think about it.
thirst
their ever-growing thirst for cash
hankering
Have you always had a hankering to be an actress?
2 (noun)
Definition
sexual appetite
Aaron was suddenly overwhelmed by desire.
Synonyms
lust
His lust grew until it was overpowering.
passion
Romeo's passion for Juliet
libido
Lack of sleep is a major factor in loss of libido.
appetite
lechery
His lechery made him the enemy of every father in the country.
carnality
lasciviousness
concupiscence
randiness (informal, mainly British)
lustfulness
3 (noun)
Synonyms
request
They agreed to his request for help.
appeal
The government issued a last-minute appeal to him to return.
petition
a humble petition to Saint Anthony
solicitation
entreaty
They have resisted all entreaties to pledge their support for the campaign.
supplication (formal)
He raised his arms in a gesture of supplication.
importunity
related words
related adjectiveorectic
Quotations
We do not succeed in changing things according to our desire, but gradually our desire changes [Marcel Proust – Remembrance of Things Past]There are two tragedies in life. One is not to get your heart's desire. The other is to get it [George Bernard Shaw – Man and Superman]If you desire many things, many things will seem but a few [Benjamin Franklin – Poor Richard's Almanack]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of ache
an overwhelming ache for support from others
Synonyms
longing,
need,
hope,
wish,
desire,
urge,
yen (informal),
pining,
hunger,
craving,
yearning,
itch,
thirst,
hankering
in the sense of appeal
Definition
an earnest request for money or help
The government issued a last-minute appeal to him to return.