desire

verb de·sire \ di-ˈzī(-ə)r , dē- \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

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

Which means that the deterrence or retaliatory effect of sanctions alone may not be as great as perhaps desired.

— kelsey atherton, Vox, "It’s not just elections: Russia hacked the US electric grid," 28 Mar. 2018
Serve along with the garnishes, allowing people to customize as desired.

— sarah fritsche, San Francisco Chronicle, "Recipe: Simple Congee," 27 Mar. 2018
Place two matzoh balls into each bowl and add picked chicken as desired.

— brittany martin, Los Angeles Magazine, "Celebrate a Very L.A. Passover with This “Pho-tza Ball” Soup," 26 Mar. 2018
Flip a switch on a smartphone app, and those substances gradually darken or lighten as desired, to allow just the right amount of light into a room without glare and without erasing the view.

— mayumi negishi, WSJ, "Office Windows Get Smart," 11 Mar. 2018
View 10 Photos Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 technology allows drivers to select from Dynamic, Eco, Comfort, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud and Ruts, Sand, and Rock Crawl driving modes as desired.

— andrew wendler, Car and Driver, "2019 Range Rover SV Coupe Revealed: Fewer Doors, More Power," 6 Mar. 2018
Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt as desired.

— debbie arrington, sacbee, "From avocados to kale: How one man forever changed the way we eat | The Sacramento Bee," 6 Mar. 2018
Fit into a 9-inch pie plate, crimping edges as desired.

— lyda jones burnette, Country Living, "Orange-Buttermilk Chess Pie," 7 Feb. 2018
The hot dogs are always served plain for diners to dress as desired.

— larry olmsted, USA TODAY, "Connecticut's hot dogs worth a detour," 1 Feb. 2018

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

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First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

desire Synonyms

Phrases

set one's heart on;

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 : something longed or hoped for : something desired

You are my heart's desire.

4 : a usually formal request or petition for some action

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

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 image of the pathetic panda—a benign, bungling creature who needs human help to survive—is a very modern myth, conjured more from human desires than from biological facts.

— lucy cooke, WSJ, "The Un-Cuddly Truth About Pandas," 6 Apr. 2018
That explains his opposition to Trump’s reported desire to start pulling U.S. troops out of Syria.

— ian bremmer, Time, "Why the Syrian Civil War Is Becoming Even More Complex," 6 Apr. 2018
While that desire did not translate on the scoreboard Thursday, Penn was pleased with his players’ grit late in the game.

— kyle stackpole, Howard County Times, "Looper, Arnedo headline first win for Oakland Mills baseball," 6 Apr. 2018
At the same time, the novel speaks back to this desire for catharsis.

— will boast, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘Happiness,’ by Aminatta Forna," 5 Apr. 2018
Kasich, speaking at New England College, questioned the president's desire to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office.

— jessie balmert, Cincinnati.com, "Primary challenge to President Trump? John Kasich doesn't have an answer yet," 3 Apr. 2018
Her friends and family could always count on her to keep them laughing with her love of people and desire to be the entertainment.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "Deaths in South Florida: 4/3," 3 Apr. 2018
Not only did desire increase, but the researchers also found that participants were willing to pay an average of $0.66 more for the item they had been made to want, and an average of $0.26 more for similar snacks.

— jamie ducharme, Fortune, "Junk Food Cravings Are Just as Bad for Your Wallet as They Are for Your Health," 3 Apr. 2018
Historically, moral and legal responsibility have largely focused on the autonomous individual—that is, someone with the capacity to deliberate or act on the basis of one’s own desires and plans, free of distorting external forces.

— laura y. cabrera, Scientific American, "It’s Not My Fault, My Brain Implant Made Me Do It," 3 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of desire

see ¹desire

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

desire Synonyms

Synonyms

appetency, appetite, craving, drive, hankering, hunger, itch, longing, passion, pining, thirst, thirstiness, urge, yearning, yen;

Near Antonyms

abhorrence, abomination, allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disgust, disinclination, dislike, disliking, distaste, hatred, loathing, nausea, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion;

apathy, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern;

liking, love, taste, weakness;

eagerness, impatience;

want, wish;

necessity, need, requirement;

obsession;

acquisitiveness, avarice, avariciousness, avidity, covetousness, cupidity, greed, greediness, rapaciousness, rapacity;

mania;

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.