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desire

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of desire

1 a strong wish for something

  • a desire for adventure and excitement prompted him to travel to Africa
Synonyms of desire

appetency, appetite, craving, drive, hankering, hunger, itch, jones [slang], letch, longing, lust, passion, pining, thirst, thirstiness, urge, yearning, yen
Words Related to desire

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 of desire

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

apathy, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern

2 sexual appetite

  • ads for drugs that increase desire
Synonyms of desire

concupiscence, eroticism, horniness, hots, itch, lech, letch, libidinousness, lust, lustfulness, lustihood, passion, salaciousness
Words Related to desire

libido

ardor, heat, rut

erotomania, hypersexuality, lecherousness, lechery, nymphomania, satyriasis

venery
Near Antonyms of desire

abstinence, celibacy, chastity

frigidity, frigidness

3 an earnest request

  • at the delegate's desire, the voice vote on the controversial measure was followed by an actual roll call
Synonyms of desire

adjuration, appeal, conjuration, cry, entreaty, petition, plea, pleading, prayer, solicitation, suit, suppliance, supplication
Words Related to desire

application, requisition

call, claim, demand, insistence

desire

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of desire

1 to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy

  • he greatly desired a new mountain bike for his next birthday
Synonyms of desire

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)
Words Related to desire

spoil (for)

adore, delight (in), dig, enjoy, fancy, groove (on), like, love, relish, revel (in)

favor, prefer

admire, appreciate, cherish, prize, treasure, value
Phrases Synonymous with desire

set one's heart on
Near Antonyms of desire

abhor, abominate, despise, detest, execrate, hate, loathe

decline, refuse, reject, spurn

2 to make a request for

  • the host desires a response to the dinner invitation by tomorrow
Synonyms of desire

ask (for), bespeak, call (for), plead (for), quest, request, seek, solicit, speak (for), sue (for)
Words Related to desire

apply (for), beg (for), claim, clamor (for), importune, urge, wish (for)

demand, enjoin, exact, insist (on), petition (for), press (for), require, requisition

invite, invoke

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

Learn More about desire

  1. See words that rhyme with desire Dictionary: Definition of desire Spanish Central: Translation of desire Nglish: Translation of desire for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of desire for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about desire

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