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Definitions

desire

[dih-zahyuhr] / dɪˈzaɪər /




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.

Our yearning to forget is superseded by our desire to understand why things are the way they are.

From Salon • May 25, 2026

All of this leaves the club in a somewhat awkward situation: could they really let O'Neill leave if he feels he still has the energy and the desire to continue?

From BBC • May 23, 2026

But Rolf von Kiaer, a friend and antiquities dealer, wrote in a tribute that Gradel was “completely uninterested in profit but driven by a desire that an overlooked object should be properly appreciated once more.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

I assumed nostalgia was fueling the desire to give these Golden Age musicals a makeover.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

Gogolev’s fear of the law was great, but his selfish desire not to share his lunch was even greater.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood




Vocabulary lists containing desire


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