desire

verb de·sire \ di-ˈzī(-ə)r , dē- \

Definition of desire

desired; desiring

transitive verb

1 :to long or hope for :exhibit or feel desire for

desire success

knew that men still desired her

2 a :to express a wish for :request

they desire an immediate answer

b archaic :to express a wish to :ask

desired them to reconsider

3 obsolete :invite

4 archaic :to feel the loss of

intransitive verb

:to have or feel desire

They may come if they so desire.

See desire defined for English-language learners

See desire defined for kids

Examples of desire in a Sentence

He desired her approval more than anything.
The apartment has modern amenities, a great location—everything you could desire.
She knew that men still desired her.

Recent Examples of desire from the Web

Your answer should reflect the company’s desired image.

— daniel bortz, Fortune, "5 Tough Interview Questions–and How You Should Answer Them," 29 Aug. 2017
At a pool party for a school classmate, both boys desired to break free from the shallow end.

— tanika davis, baltimoresun.com, "Navigating the deep end of tricky twin milestones," 24 Aug. 2017
But the Internet wasn’t completely thrilled, as Gendry’s meeting with Jon Snow in the last episode left a little something to be desired.

— chanel vargas, Harper's BAZAAR, "Why Game of Thrones Fans Are Furious About This Moment Between Jon Snow and Gendry," 15 Aug. 2017
Add washi tape in another color or pattern as accents, if desired.

— sarah newell, Seventeen, "11 Ridiculously Awesome DIY Gifts for Your BFFs," 9 Aug. 2017
Whatever your Hello Kitty desires, there's something for every kind of fan of the adorable mascot.

— lilian min, Cosmopolitan, "This Hello Kitty Face Mask Might Be the Cutest Beauty Product Ever," 3 Aug. 2017
Crisp the other side, adding more butter as desired, another 5 to 10 minutes.

— jeanmarie brownson, chicagotribune.com, "Grill-smoked fish answers all your summer needs — salads to spreads to omelets," 12 July 2017
Arrange fresh fruit on top of the tart, as desired.

— Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Summer Fruit Tart with Oatmeal Cookie Crust," 11 July 2017
It can be siphoned to a 5-gallon carboy to allow extra time for clearing if desired, for about 7 days.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "Ancient Humans Liked Getting Tipsy, Too," 10 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'desire.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of desire

Middle English, from Anglo-French desirer, from Latin desiderare, from de- + sider-, sidus heavenly body

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

desire Synonyms

Synonyms

ache (for), covet, crave, desiderate, die (for), hanker (for or after), hunger (for), itch (for), jones (for) [slang], long (for), lust (for or after), pant (after), pine (for), repine (for), salivate (for), sigh (for), thirst (for), want, wish (for), yearn (for), yen (for), set one's heart on

Related Words

spoil (for); adore, delight (in), dig, enjoy, fancy, groove (on), like, love, relish, revel (in); favor, prefer; admire, appreciate, cherish, prize, treasure, value

Near Antonyms

abhor, abominate, despise, detest, execrate, hate, loathe; decline, refuse, reject, spurn

Synonym Discussion of desire

desire, wish, want, crave, covet mean to have a longing for. desire stresses the strength of feeling and often implies strong intention or aim.

- desires to start a new life

wish sometimes implies a general or transient longing especially for the unattainable.

- wishes for permanent world peace

want specifically suggests a felt need or lack.

- wants to have a family

crave stresses the force of physical appetite or emotional need.

- craves sweets

covet implies strong envious desire.

- covets his rise to fame

desire

noun

Definition of desire

1 :conscious impulse (see ²impulse 3) toward something that promises enjoyment or satisfaction in its attainment

ridding oneself of all desires

how humans process desire

2 a :longing, craving

teenagers' desire for independence

… the inexpensive homebuilt craft that satisfy many people's desire to fly
—James Fallows

b :sexual urge or appetite

3 :a usually formal request or petition for some action

at the desire of one fifth of those present
—U.S. Constitution

4 :something longed or hoped for :something desired

You are my heart's desire.

See desire defined for English-language learners

Examples of desire in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of desire from the Web

The album Arca conjures profound desire and profound suffering, but the producer's show on the festival's Blue Stage on Friday pushed aside that weight in favor of play, camp, and welcome confusion.

— sasha geffen, Chicago Reader, "Music / Pitchfork Day One / LGBT / Visual Art Arca & Jesse Kanda played with confusion to liberate the Pitchfork crowd," 15 July 2017
His children recalled Cowherd's love for Aurora and the East Aurora school district, and his desire to give back to his community.

— sarah freishtat, Aurora Beacon-News, "Henry Cowherd remembered as an 'institution' in Aurora," 12 July 2017
City Council members were scheduled to meet Wednesday night, past the Valley Sun’s press deadline, to decide whether to confirm their desire to appoint an applicant or call a special election in November.

— sara cardine, La Cañada Valley Sun, "Open call for LCF City Council seat draws 16 candidates; officials to decide on appointment versus special election," 5 July 2017
Both dolls have always been a blank slate upon which children can project their desires, hopes and dreams.

— eliana dockterman, Time, "Why Ken’s Got a New Body, Too," 20 June 2017
Acute mountain sickness, or AMS, resembles a hangover: headache, nausea, fatigue, the desire to curl up next to a rock with your rain jacket pulled over your head to block the sun.

— jenn fields, The Know, "Colorado fourteeners: seriously everything you need to know before you go," 16 June 2017
Federal officials again asserted that East Chicago residents' desire to have a formal role in court proceedings related to the U.S.S. Lead Superfund site is coming too late.

— craig lyons, Post-Tribune, "Feds oppose East Chicago residents' role in lead cleanup court case," 14 June 2017
In our desire to compare teams from different eras, Las Vegas has chimed in.

— mark heim, AL.com, "Vegas sets line: Steph Curry's Golden State Warriors vs. Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls," 6 June 2017
Of course: People’s interests, not people’s desires.

— george will, Twin Cities, "George Will: Public broadcasting: superfluous yet seemingly immortal," 5 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of desire

see ¹desire

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

desire Synonyms

Other Psychology Terms

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

DESIRE Defined for English Language Learners

desire

verb

Definition of desire for English Language Learners

: to want or wish for (something) : to feel desire for (something)
: to want to have sex with (someone)
: to express a wish for (something)

desire

noun

Definition of desire for English Language Learners

: the feeling of wanting something
: a strong wish : a wish for something or to do something
: a feeling of wanting to have sex with someone

DESIRE Defined for Kids

desire

verb de·sire \ di-ˈzīr \

Definition of desire for Students

desired; desiring

1 :to long for :wish for in earnest

Both sides desire peace.

2 :to express a wish for :request The council desires an immediate response.

Synonym Discussion of desire

desire, wish, and crave mean to want something very much. desire is used when a person has a great feeling for and actually strives to get what is wanted.

- The immigrants desired a better life.

wish is used when a person wants something that he or she has little or no chance of getting.

- He foolishly sat around and wished for wealth.

crave is used for the force of physical or mental needs.

- The hungry dogs craved food.

desire

noun

Definition of desire for Students

1 :a strong wish :longing

a desire for companionship

2 :something longed for

It was his heart's desire to return home.

Law Dictionary

desire

transitive verb de·sire

legal Definition of desire

desired; desiring

:to wish for earnestly — see also precatory

Note: Courts have variously interpreted desire in wills to indicate either a direction of the testator that must be followed or merely an expression of what the testator hoped would happen.