desire
verb
dē-\
Definition of desire
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : to long or hope for : exhibit or feel desire for desire success knew that men still desired her
2a : 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
: to have or feel desire They may come if they so desire.
desire
nounDefinition of desire (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : conscious impulse (see impulse entry 2 sense 3) toward something that promises enjoyment or satisfaction in its attainment ridding oneself of all desires how humans process desire
2a : 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
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Synonyms for desire
Synonyms: Verb
ache (for), covet, crave, die (for), hanker (for or after), hunger (for), itch (for), 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)
Synonyms: Noun
appetency, appetite, craving, drive, hankering, hunger, itch, longing, passion, pining, thirst, thirstiness, urge, yearning, yen
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Examples of desire in a Sentence
Verb
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.Noun
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 on the Web: Verb
Even better, the old computer was for sale along with the elusive but much-desired Portrait Display, a must-have for the desktop publishing industry of its time. — Chris Wilkinson, Ars Technica, "1990, meet 2018: How far does 20MHz of Macintosh IIsi power go today?," 1 July 2018 There are some men who simply desire to see unease and fear in a woman’s face. — Caitlin Moran, The Cut, "How to Tell the Bad Men From the Good Men," 5 July 2018 Those who so desire may make memorial donations in memory of George to the American Heart Association (heart.org) or to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org). — Orlando Sentinel, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Deaths in Central Florida: 7/1," 1 July 2018 Those who so desire may make memorial donations in memory of Robert to the Cancer Research Institute (Cancer Research Institute, Web Donation,29 Broadway, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10006-3111). — Hartford Courant, courant.com, "Robert Lynn Rolfe," 14 June 2018 Trump, who desires a measure of chaos at all times, is reveling in the effects of his own mercurial decision-making, the people said. — BostonGlobe.com, "Exhausted aides of a chaotic president eye White House exits," 11 June 2018 Trump, who desires a measure of chaos at all times, is reveling in the effects of his own mercurial decision-making, the people said. — Anchorage Daily News, "Exhausted aides of a chaotic president eye White House exits," 11 June 2018 One of the points of contention about the changes is how the city should handle issuing permits to residents who desire to have live music at parties or other gatherings. — Steve Lord, Aurora Beacon-News, "Aurora looking at changes to noise ordinance, may require permit for bands in residential areas," 6 June 2018 Parents have filed a formal complaint with Portland Public Schools that asserts the district is illegally prioritizing students who desire to attend specialty schools such as an arts magnet over highly-gifted students who need a special program. — Bethany Barnes, OregonLive.com, "Complaint: Access Academy students who need alternative education given short shrift," 26 Apr. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The desire for dedicated pickleball courts ranked in the top 25 things residents wanted the Naperville Park District to provide, according to a survey conducted in March. — Gary Gibula, Naperville Sun, "Naperville answering demand for pickleball with new courts at Nike Complex, Southwest Park," 14 July 2018 Trump speaks fondly of Putin and a desire for better relations with Moscow, but the rest of his executive branch remains highly critical and deeply suspicious of the Russian president and the Kremlin’s intentions. — Matthew Lee, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump wish for warm Putin ties highlights policy disconnect," 14 July 2018 But the desire to integrate them as part of a curated Instagram lifestyle is something novel. — Madeline Buxton, refinery29.com, "How Scooters Became A Go-To Instagram Prop — & The Next Transportation Revolution," 12 July 2018 Those children at the border, those children in the caves, my father and my aunt, and my 7-year-old self shared the same thing: A visceral need, a profound desire, to go home. — Christine M. Flowers, Philly.com, "As politicians duke it out, we must remember that most children just want to go home | Christine Flowers," 12 July 2018 People post ads that are incredibly frank about their identities and desires, often in ways that encourage even more honestly from both readers and future Personals post-ers. — Angela Watercutter, WIRED, "Could a Text-Based Dating App Change Selfie-Swiping Culture?," 10 July 2018 For example, take the newest member of the retrograde club: Mars, the ruling planet of energy, desire, and assertiveness. — Jodie Layne, Teen Vogue, "Mars Retrograde 2018: What You Need to Know," 26 June 2018 That desire to teach and an observation that south suburban adults are looking for purposeful outings that bring people together led to the recent opening of Farmhouse Academy in Mokena. — Donna Vickroy, Daily Southtown, "Cooking classes, camps and events offered for kids and adults at newly opened Farmhouse Academy in Mokena," 19 June 2018 And though these made our mean old heart pulsate with desire, the real news was back at Couture, where the attendees were abuzz with the decision that no less a company than De Beers has decided to embrace lab-grown diamonds. — Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, "5 Dazzling New Jewelry Designers From the Las Vegas Couture Show," 15 June 2018These 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.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
The Fault (and Words) in Your Stars
The Fault (and Words) in Your Stars
Words that were written in the cosmos
Dictionary Entries near desire
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Statistics for desire
Last Updated
29 Aug 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for desire
The first known use of desire was in the 13th century
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More Definitions for desire
desire
verb
English Language Learners Definition of desire
(Entry 1 of 2)
: 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
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of desire (Entry 2 of 2)
: 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
See the full definition for desire in the English Language Learners Dictionary
desire
verb
\
Kids Definition of desire
(Entry 1 of 2)
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.
desire
nounKids Definition of desire (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : a strong wish : longing a desire for companionship
2 : something longed for It was his heart's desire to return home.
desire
transitive verbLegal Definition of desire
: 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.
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