Definitions for desire
dɪˈzaɪərde·sire

Princeton's WordNet(3.40 / 5 votes)Rate this definition:

1. desirenoun

   the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

2. desirenoun

   an inclination to want things

   "a man of many desires"

3. desireverb

   something that is desired

4. desire, wantverb

   feel or have a desire for; want strongly

   "I want to go home now"; "I want my own room"

5. hope, trust, desireverb

   expect and wish

   "I trust you will behave better from now on"; "I hope she understands that she cannot expect a raise"

6. desireverb

   express a desire for

Wiktionary(3.50 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. desirenoun

   Someone or something wished for.

2. desirenoun

   Strong attraction, particularly romantic or sexual.

   His desire for her kept him awake at night.

3. desirenoun

   The feeling of desire.

   Too much desire can seriously affect one's judgment.

4. desireverb

   More formal or stronger word for want.

   I desire to speak with you.

5. desireverb

   To put a request to (someone); to entreat.

6. desireverb

   Another word for want, connoting emotion.

   She has been desiring him since they first met.

7. Etymology: From desiren, from desirrer, from desidero, apparently, from de- + sidus (see sidereal), but the connection of thought is not clear (perhaps "to wish (down) from the stars"?); compare consider. Compare also desiderate.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. DESIREnoun

   Wish; eagerness to obtain or enjoy.

   Etymology: desir, Fr. deseo, Ital. desiderium, Lat.

   Drink provokes, and unprovokes; it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

   Desire ’s the vast extent of human mind;
   It mounts above, and leaves poor hope behind. Dryden.

   Desire is the uneasiness a man finds in himself upon the absence of any thing, whose present enjoyment carries the idea of delight with it. John Locke.

   It is in a man’s power only to observe what the ideas are that take their turns in his understanding, or else to direct the sort, and call in such as he hath a desire or use of. John Locke.

2. To Desireverb

   Etymology: desirer, French; desiderare, Latin.

   1. To wish; to long for; to covet.

   Thou shalt not desire the silver or gold. Deutr. vii. 25.

   2. To express wishes; to appear to long.

   Jove beheld it with a desiring look. Dryden.

   3. To ask; to intreat.

   Sir, I intreat you home with me to dinner.
   —— I humbly do desire your grace of pardon;
   I must away this night. William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice.

   But since you take such int’rest in our woe,
   And Troy’s disast’rous end desire to know,
   I will restrain my tears, and briefly tell
   What in our last fatal night befell. John Dryden, Æn. b. ii.

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Desireverb

   to long for; to wish for earnestly; to covet

2. Desireverb

   to express a wish for; to entreat; to request

3. Desireverb

   to require; to demand; to claim

4. Desireverb

   to miss; to regret

5. Desireverb

   the natural longing that is excited by the enjoyment or the thought of any good, and impels to action or effort its continuance or possession; an eager wish to obtain or enjoy

6. Desireverb

   an expressed wish; a request; petition

7. Desireverb

   anything which is desired; an object of longing

8. Desireverb

   excessive or morbid longing; lust; appetite

9. Desireverb

   grief; regret

Freebase(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Desire

   "Desire" is a song by U2 and the third track on their 1988 album, Rattle and Hum. Released as the album's lead single, "Desire" was the band's first number-one single in the UK and Australia. It reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, and topped both the Modern and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, the first song to reach the top of both of these charts simultaneously. It reached number two on the Dutch Top 40. In 1989, "Desire" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Desire

   de-zīr′, v.t. to long for the possession of: to wish for: to request, ask: (B.) to regret.—v.i. to be in a state of desire.—n. an earnest longing for: eagerness to obtain: a prayer or request: the object desired: lust.—adj. Desir′able, worthy of desire: pleasing: agreeable.—ns. Desir′ableness, Desirabil′ity.—adv. Desir′ably.—adj. Desire′less.—n. Desir′er.—adj. Desir′ous, full of desire: anxious to obtain: eager.—adv. Desir′ously.—n. Desir′ousness. [Fr. désirer—L. desiderāre. See Desiderate.]

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. desire

   An intuitive feeling.

   It was always her desire to form a unity government as people working together for the good and benefit of all is the most intuitive and just outcome.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on February 15, 2020  

Suggested Resources(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. desire

   Song lyrics by desire -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by desire on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Feeling
   • Inclination
   • Request

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'desire' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2010

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'desire' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4695

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'desire' in Nouns Frequency: #805

4. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'desire' in Verbs Frequency: #887

Anagrams for desire »

1. eiders

2. reside

How to pronounce desire?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say desire in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of desire in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of desire in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of desire in a Sentence

1. Socrates, Quoted in: Plato, Phaedrus.:

   When desire, having rejected reason and overpowered judgment which leads to right, is set in the direction of the pleasure which beauty can inspire . . .

2. Marta Murray-Close:

   Survey researchers have long known that peoples' desire to present themselves in a positive light may lead them to understate socially undesirable behaviors and overstate socially desirable behaviors, some people who give inaccurate answers on surveys may know they're distorting the truth, but many people probably do it unconsciously.

3. Mehmet Oz:

   John Fetterman has been ducking, dodging these debates, which is insulting to the voters of Pennsylvania, and he has to own the reasons for his desire to avoid a debate with me. Either he's healthy, which he says he is, and doesn't want to answer for his radical positions in past statements, or he's lying about his health.

4. John Adams:

   A desire to be observed, considered, esteemed, praised, beloved, and admired by his fellows is one of the earliest as well as the keenest dispositions discovered in the heart of man.

5. Tom Malinowski:

   I completely understand the desire among some of my colleagues to make progress in parallel on the reconciliation bill, but I also don't think given the progress, holding infrastructure hostage would be justified.

Popularity rank by frequency of use