desire

²desire

noun

Definition of DESIRE

1

: conscious impulse toward something that promises enjoyment or satisfaction in its attainment

2

a : longing, craving b : sexual urge or appetite

3

: a usually formal request or petition for some action

4

: something desired

Examples of DESIRE

1. Desire is a common theme is music and literature.
2. The magazine tries to attend to the needs and desires of its readers.
3. Both sides feel a real desire for peace.
4. His decisions are guided by his desire for land.
5. They expressed a desire to go with us.
6. They have a desire to have children.
7. a strong desire to travel around the world
8. He was overcome with desire for her.

First Known Use of DESIRE

14th century

Related to DESIRE

Synonyms: appetency, appetite, craving, drive, hankering, hunger, itch, jones [slang], letch, longing, lust, passion, pining, thirst, thirstiness, urge, yearning, yen

Related Words: compulsion, impulse, impulsion, will, zeal; liking, love, taste, weakness; eagerness, impatience; want, wish; necessity, need, requirement; obsession; acquisitiveness, avarice, avariciousness, avidity, covetousness, cupidity, greed, greediness, rapaciousness, rapacity; cacoëthes, mania

Near Antonyms: abhorrence, abomination, allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disgust, disinclination, dislike, disliking, distaste, hatred, loathing, nausea, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion; apathy, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern

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Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

Rhymes with DESIRE

attire, backfire, bemire, catch fire, cross fire, denier, entire, for hire, fox fire, Greek fire, grey friar, hang fire, hellfire, live wire, on fire, prior, rimfire, sapphire, sea fire, snow tire, town crier, trip wire, umpire, watch fire, white friar