English Explanatory Dictionary

desire

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To want; to wish for earnestly.
  2. To put a request to (someone); to entreat.
  3. To want emotionally or sexually.
  4. To express a wish for; to entreat; to request.
  5. To require; to demand; to claim.
  6. To miss; to regret.
noun
  1. The feeling of desiring; an eager longing for something.
  2. Someone or something wished for.
  3. Strong attraction, particularly romantic or sexual.
  4. Motivation.

Pronunciation

dĭ-zīrʹ dĭ-zīʹər /dɪˈzaɪə/ dē-zīrʹ dē-zīʹər /dɪˈzaɪɹ/ /dɪˈzaɪɚ/ /diˈzaɪɹ/ /diˈzaɪɚ/ en-us-desire.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-desire.wav

Word forms

desire desires desiring desired no-table-tags glossary desirest desiredst desireth

Etymology

From Middle English desir, desire (noun) and desiren (verb), from Old French desirer, desirrer, from Latin dēsīderō (“to long for, desire, feel the want of, miss, regret”), apparently from de- + sidus (in the phrase de sidere, "from the stars") in connection with astrological hopes. Compare consider and desiderate. The verb, along with Old Norse derived want (verb), has mostly replaced native will in modern English.

Synonyms

want-to ambition appetite appetition aspiration avidity cacoethes concupiscence craving cupidity desire dream fondness hankering hope hunger idea keenness longing lust mind prurience thirst want wish yearning pleasure wanna

Antonyms

apathy contempt disinterest distaste hatred

Related words

desideratum desirability desirableness sidereal undesirability undesirableness desirable desiring-production desirous velleity intention

Derived words

desired effect desiring-production desirive leave a lot to be desired leave much to be desired leave something to be desired alphabet of desire baptism of desire counterdesire desirably desireful desireless desire line desirement desire path heart's desire mimetic desire misdesire nondesire to a desire undesire
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on D Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary