- to wish or long for; crave; want
- to express a wish or make a request for; ask for
- a wish or longing; craving
- an expressed wish; request
- sexual appetite; lust
- a person or thing that is desired
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
de•sire /dɪˈzaɪr/USA pronunciation
v., -sired, -sir•ing, n.
v. [ not: be + ~-ing]
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026v. [ not: be + ~-ing]
- to wish for;
want or long for: [ ~ + obj]:What he really desires is a raise.[ ~ + to + verb]:She desired to be a veterinarian.[ ~ + obj + to + verb]:What do you desire them to do? - [ ~ + obj] to want sexually.
- [ ~ + obj] to ask for;
request:The mayor desires your presence at the meeting.
n.
- a longing or craving:[countable]an uncontrollable desire for chocolate.
- [uncountable] a strong wish to have sexual relations.
- desire is a noun and a verb, desirable is an adjective:His desires cannot be met. He desires to see you. That is a desirable job.
de•sire
(di zīər′),USA pronunciation v., -sired, -sir•ing, n.
v.t.
n.
de•sired•ly
(di zīərd′lē, -zī′rid-),USA pronunciation adv.
de•sired′ness, n.
de•sire′less, adj.
de•sir′er, n.
de•sir′ing•ly, adv.
v.t.
- to wish or long for; crave;
want. - to express a wish to obtain;
ask for;
request:The mayor desires your presence at the next meeting.
n.
- a longing or craving, as for something that brings satisfaction or enjoyment:a desire for fame.
- an expressed wish;
request. - something desired.
- sexual appetite or a sexual urge.
- Latin dēsīderāre; see desiderate
- Old French desirer
- Middle English desiren 1200–50
de•sire′less, adj.
de•sir′er, n.
de•sir′ing•ly, adv.
- 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.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
desire /dɪˈzaɪə/ vb (transitive)
'desire' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
amatory
- ambition
- ambitious
- amok
- amorous
- anaphrodisiac
- anorexia
- anxiety
- aphrodisiac
- appetence
- appetite
- ardent
- arty
- aspiration
- aspire
- athirst
- bags
- cacoethes
- care
- carry
- castle in the air
- Cernuda
- collide
- compassion
- complaisant
- concupiscence
- conquer
- covet
- crave
- craving
- cry
- Cupid
- cupidity
- curiosity
- death wish
- desiderate
- desirable
- desirous
- desperate
- dipsomania
- eager
- emulation
- entice
- envy
- erogenous
- Eros
- erotic
- eroticism
- exhibitionism
- abandon