Synonyms for desire
dɪˈzaɪərde·sire

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.2 / 5 votes

1. desire

   Inclination is the mildest of these terms; it is a quiet, or even a vague or unconscious, tendency. Even when we speak of a strong or decided inclination we do not express the intensity of desire. Desire has a wide range, from the highest objects to the lowest; desire is for an object near at hand, or near in thought, and viewed as attainable; a wish may be for what is remote or uncertain, or even for what is recognized as impossible. Craving is stronger than hankering; hankering may be the result of a fitful and capricious appetite; craving may be the imperious and reasonable demand of the whole nature. Longing is a reaching out with deep and persistent demand for that which is viewed as now distant but at some time attainable; as, the captive's longing for release. Coveting ordinarily denotes wrong desire for that which is another's. Compare APPETITE.

   See synonyms for ANTIPATHY.

   Synonyms:
   appetency, appetite, aspiration, concupiscence, coveting, craving, hankering, inclination, longing, proclivity, propensity, wish

   Preposition:
   The desire of fame; a desire for excellence.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.0 / 3 votes

1. desirenoun

   Synonyms:
   longing, affection, propension, craving, concupiscence, appetency

   Antonyms:
   loathing, hate, repugnance, disgust, aversion, abomination, horror

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:2.3 / 3 votes

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"

   Synonyms:
   want, trust, require, need, hope

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"

   Synonyms:
   rely, entrust, hope, commit, believe, bank, intrust, go for, trust, swear, confide, want

6. desireverb

   express a desire for

   Synonyms:
   want, trust, hope

Matched Categories

1. • Feeling
   • Inclination
   • Request

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. carving

   Submitted by acronimous on March 24, 2019  

2. propension

   i saw and questioned “i have a great pension for tidiness” and looked up synonym for pension (no) , then desire? - and propension was given. what else could it be?

   author wrote “i have a great pension for tidiness” it sounded wrong

   Submitted by rinat on August 7, 2019  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. desirenoun

   Synonyms:
   wish, longing, craving, inclination, hankering, aspiration, appetency

2. desireverb

   Synonyms:
   wish, crave, covet, want, fancy, wish for, long for, hanker after, lust after, yearn for, aspire after

3. desireverb

   Synonyms:
   solicit, request, ask

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 2 votes

1. desirenoun

   Synonyms:
   longing, craving, will, aspiration, hankering, appetency, cupidity, impulse, request, petition, quest, entreaty, velleity, pruriency

   Antonyms:
   apathy, antipathy, aversion, inappetency

   Associated words:
   desiderative, desideratum, orectic, optative

2. desireverb

   Synonyms:
   want, crave, long for, lust, covet, yearn, aspire, request

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:5.0 / 1 vote

1. List of paraphrases for "desire":

   wish, désir, willingness, desired, aspiration, desiree, laurent-désiré, longing, lust, will, yearning, want, intention, ambition, eagerness, hope, commitment, readiness, determination

NicknamesRate these nicknames:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of known nicknames for "Désiré":

   Amable Désiré Courtecuisse

Suggested Resources

1. desire

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

How to pronounce desire?

How to say desire in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use desire in a sentence?

1. Timothy Head:

   I actually defend Warnock's infusion of faith in his own politics, because I find the bifurcation --- the desire to bifurcate faith from any kind of political dialogue --- basically impractical. The reality is that worldview is inextricably intertwined with people's political positions and opinions.

2. John Locke:

   The discipline of desire is the background of character.

3. Jan Ashford:

   There is no such thing as can't, only won't. If you're qualified, all it takes is a burning desire to accomplish, to make a change. Go forward, go backward. Whatever it takes But you can't blame other people or society in general. It all comes from your mind. When we do the impossible we realize we are special people.

4. Dejan Stojanovic:

   Our desire to say more grows bigger and what to say about it, except that saying is not always about saying, growing is not always about growing.

5. Saint Thomas Aquinas, Two Precepts of Charity:

   Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to believe; to know what he ought to desire; and to know what he ought to do.