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Definitions
Trivia Time
Which is a central theme of Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire?

desire

[dih-zahyuhr] / dΙͺˈzaΙͺΙ™r /




VERB
ask, request
Synonyms
Antonyms
STRONG
WEAK
not want


Usage

What are other ways to say desire? Desire, a formal verb, suggests a strong wish: They desire liberation. Wish implies the feeling of an impulse toward attainment or possession of something; the strength of the feeling may be of greater or lesser intensity: I wish I could go home. Want, usually colloquial in use, suggests a feeling of lack or need that imperatively demands fulfillment: People all over the world want peace.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Hunt credits Anderson’s maturity not just for her ability to get over those bumps in the road, but also for her desire to learn from her mistakes while celebrating her achievements.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

"Sleep deprivation is known to not only increase appetite, but also a desire for energy-dense foods," says Prof Jonathan Johnston, a sleep and body clock expert at the University of Surrey.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

Along with those who have dropped coverage, some people have picked plans with lower premiums, hoping to balance the monthly cost with their desire to continue coverage.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

Wong has maintained his curiosity and desire to gain a deeper understanding of the world, said Louis Lee, a friend who visits Wong regularly in prison.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

Andrew Jackson expressed no desire to see an end to slavery, as Washington, Jefferson, and Madison had.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

Algorithms were already predicting our tastes, needs and desires and serving us options before we asked for them.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026

“Lorca is also so visceral, you can’t separate his desires from his art,” Guitarrica adds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Many of the young people attending daytimers gigs were moving between the expectations of family and community and the desires of a younger generation testing out music, fashion, friendship and independence on its own terms.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

They have joys and desires, just not their former ones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

When she looked hard at herself, examined her deepmost desires, she realized that she did not entirely trust herself.

From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo

"The city stores have retained their upper end airs and graces, but the suburban stores leave a lot to be desired – they're mundane, they lack excitement and there's definitely no glitz," she said.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

Without an active catalyst, the reaction cannot produce the desired drug.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

Its savings programme will cost $2.0 billion before delivering the desired yearly benefits.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

Being a “permabull” and always betting on stocks is slightly better, because stocks go up more than they go down — but it still leaves a lot to be desired.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

“A friend of mine desired me to offer—a story—just as an experiment—would like your opinion—be glad to write more if this suits.”

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

Huckabee reportedly told embassy staff in an email there was "no need to panic, but for those desiring to leave, it's important to make plans to depart sooner rather than later".

From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026

The motivations for septuagenarian entrepreneurs include desiring autonomy, pursuing meaningful projects and addressing societal needs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2025

“Being pregnant, desiring pregnancy, and parenting your children does not absolve you from being at risk of criminalization,” Perritt told Salon in a phone interview.

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2024

She had a predilection for painting women as modern, urban, desiring.

From New York Times ● Apr. 1, 2024

“You needn’t, sir,” said I, desiring no conversation.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson


Vocabulary lists containing desire

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