desire

[dih-zahyuh r] /dɪˈzaɪər/
verb (used with object), desired, desiring.
1.
to wish or long for; crave; want.
2.
to express a wish to obtain; ask for; request:
The mayor desires your presence at the next meeting.
noun
3.
a longing or craving, as for something that brings satisfaction or enjoyment:
a desire for fame.
4.
an expressed wish; request.
5.
something desired.
6.
sexual appetite or a sexual urge.
Origin
1200-50; Middle English desiren < Old French desirer < Latin dēsīderāre; see desiderate
Related forms
desiredly
[dih-zahyuh rd-lee, -zahy-rid-] /dɪˈzaɪərd li, -ˈzaɪ rɪd-/ (Show IPA), adverb
desiredness, noun
desireless, adjective
desirer, noun
desiringly, adverb
overdesire, noun
self-desire, noun
undesiring, adjective
Synonyms
1. covet, fancy. See wish. 2. solicit. 3. aspiration, hunger, appetite, thirst. Desire, craving, longing, yearning suggest feelings that impel one to the attainment or possession of something. Desire is a strong feeling, worthy or unworthy, that impels to the attainment or possession of something that is (in reality or imagination) within reach: a desire for success. Craving implies a deep and imperative wish for something, based on a sense of need and hunger: a craving for food, companionship. A longing is an intense wish, generally repeated or enduring, for something that is at the moment beyond reach but may be attainable at some future time: a longing to visit Europe. Yearning suggests persistent, uneasy, and sometimes wistful or tender longing: a yearning for one's native land.
Examples from the web for desire
  • They have no teamwork and no desire to learn this game.
  • More important was their desire to get back to the basics.
  • Characterized by a strong desire to gain and possess.
  • When it comes to the matter of desire, evolution leaves little to chance.
  • You might be asked no matter what you desire.
  • That's what gives you the desire to get up in the morning.
  • All you need is 2-6 players and an unfaltering desire to liberate the planet.
  • The desire to communicate is one of the most basic and natural of human needs.
  • Henry is an 11-year-old whose deepest desire is to have a dog.
  • It's driven mostly by the desire for a common good.
British Dictionary definitions for desire

desire

/dɪˈzaɪə/
verb (transitive)
1.
to wish or long for; crave; want
2.
to express a wish or make a request for; ask for
noun
3.
a wish or longing; craving
4.
an expressed wish; request
5.
sexual appetite; lust
6.
a person or thing that is desired
related
adjective orectic
Derived Forms
desirer, noun
Word Origin
C13: from Old French desirer, from Latin dēsīderāre to desire earnestly; see desiderate
Word Origin and History for desire
v.

early 13c., from Old French desirrer (12c.) "wish, desire, long for," from Latin desiderare "long for, wish for; demand, expect," original sense perhaps "await what the stars will bring," from the phrase de sidere "from the stars," from sidus (genitive sideris) "heavenly body, star, constellation" (but see consider). Related: Desired; desiring.

n.

c.1300, from Old French desir, from desirer (see desire (v.)); sense of "lust" is first recorded mid-14c.

Idioms and Phrases with desire

desire

see: leave a lot to be desired