Meaning & use
desire
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A strong wish to have or do something.
Grammar: With for or to: a desire for change; a desire to travel.
Patterns
- a desire for something
- a desire to do something
She had a strong desire to travel.
His desire for success drove him.
There is a growing desire for reform.
noununcountable
Strong physical attraction to someone.
Grammar: No article in this sense.
Patterns
- desire for someone
The film is about love and desire.
He felt desire for her.
verbtransitiveformal
To want something very much.
Grammar: Takes an object; formal.
Patterns
- desire something
- desire to do something
They desire a quiet life.
Customers who desire a refund must apply.
Word forms
| plural | desires |
|---|---|
| third person singular | desires |
| past tense | desired |
| past participle | desired |
| -ing form | desiring |
Common combinations
- burning desire
- He had a burning desire to win.
- a desire for
- A desire for power ruined him.
- express a desire
- She expressed a desire to help.
- leave much to be desired
- The service left much to be desired.
- strong desire
- A strong desire to learn.
Synonyms and how they differ
- wish
- Milder and may be unlikely to come true.
- longing
- Implies a sad, lasting wish for something absent.
- craving
- A sudden need, often for food.
- urge
- A sudden impulse to act.
Opposites
Word family
- desirable adjective
- worth wanting
- desirous adjective
- wanting something
- undesirable adjective
- unwanted
Commonly confused: desire or desert?
desire vs desert
Desert means leave behind, or a dry region; it is not about wanting.
Practice
She had a strong ___ to see the world before she turned thirty.
Choose one answer.
A desire to do something is a strong wish. A decision would be a choice already made.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “desire”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.