desire

See also: désire, désiré, Désiré, and Desiré

English

Etymology

From Middle English desiren, 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. Compare also desiderate.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: dĭ-zīrʹ, dĭ-zīʹər, IPA^(key): /dɪˈzaɪə/
• (General American) enPR: dĭ-zīrʹ, dĭ-zīʹər, dē-zīrʹ, dē-zīʹər, IPA^(key): /dɪˈzaɪɹ/, /dɪˈzaɪɚ/, /diˈzaɪɹ/, /diˈzaɪɚ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: de‧sire

Verb

1. To want; to wish for earnestly.

   I desire to speak with you.

   • (Can we find and add a quotation of Bible to this entry?), Exodus xxxiv. 24

     Neither shall any man desire thy land.

   • (Can we find and add a quotation of Tennyson to this entry?)

     Ye desire your child to live.

2. To put a request to (someone); to entreat.
   • 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Acts XIII:

     And when they founde no cause of deeth in hym, yet desired they Pilate to kyll him.

   • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 2, in The Mirror and the Lamp‎^[1]:

     That the young Mr. Churchills liked—but they did not like him coming round of an evening and drinking weak whisky-and-water while he held forth on railway debentures and corporation loans. Mr. Barrett, however, by fawning and flattery, seemed to be able to make not only Mrs. Churchill but everyone else do what he desired.

3. To want emotionally or sexually.

   She has desired him since they first met.

4. To express a wish for; to entreat; to request.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Kings 4:28:

     Then shee said, Did I desire a sonne of my Lord ? did I not say, Doe not deceiue me?

   • (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)

     Desire him to go in; trouble him no more.

5. To require; to demand; to claim.
   • (Can we find and add a quotation of Spenser to this entry?)

     A doleful case desires a doleful song.

6. To miss; to regret.
   • (Can we find and add a quotation of Jeremy Taylor to this entry?)

     She shall be pleasant while she lives, and desired when she dies.

Related terms

• desideratum
• desirable
• desirability
• desirableness
• undesirability
• undesirableness

Translations

desire — see want

wish for earnestly

• Arabic: رَغِبَ (raḡiba)
• Armenian: ցանկանալ (hy) (cʻankanal)
• Asturian: desear (ast)
• Belarusian: жа́даць impf (žádacʹ)
• Bulgarian: жела́я (bg) impf (želája), и́скам (bg) impf (ískam)
• Burmese: မက် (my) (mak)
• Catalan: desitjar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 慾望/欲望／欲望/欲望, 欲望 (zh) (yùwàng)

• Czech: toužit (cs), přát si
• Danish: ønske (da)
• Dutch: wensen (nl), verlangen (nl)
• Esperanto: deziri
• Finnish: tahtoa (fi), mieliä (fi), haluta (fi)
• French: désirer (fr)
• Galician: desexar (gl)
• German: begehren (de)
• Greek: επιθυμώ (el) (epithymó)

  Ancient: ἐπιθυμέω (epithuméō)

• Hebrew: השתוקק (hishtokék)
• Hungarian: kíván (hu), vágyik (hu), óhajt (hu)
• Ido: dezirar (io)
• Indonesian: hasrat (id)
• Interlingua: desirar
• Irish:

  Old Irish: ad·cobra

• Japanese: 望む (ja) (のぞむ, nozomu), 願う (ja) (ねがう, negau), 欲する (ほっする, hossuru)
• Kannada: ಬಯಕೆ (kn) (bayake), ಹಂಬಲ (kn) (hambala)
• Korean: 바라다 (ko) (barada), 원하다 (ko) (wonhada), 원하다 (ko) (wonhada)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani:

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Lao: ຕ້ອງການ (tǭng kān)
• Latgalian: gribēt, gaideit
• Latin: cupio, desidero
• Latvian: vēlēties
• Lithuanian: trokšti, pageidauti
• Macedonian: посакува (posakuva), посака (posaka)
• Manx: mian, wooish, fooill, imnee
• Marathi: इच्छा n (icchā)
• Mongolian: хүсэх (mn) (xüsex)
• Persian: خواستن (fa) (xâstan), آرزو کردن (fa) (ârezu kardan)
• Polish: pragnąć (pl), pożądać (pl)
• Portuguese: desejar (pt)
• Romanian: dori (ro)
• Russian: жела́ть (ru) impf (želátʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: жѐлети, жѐљети, жудети, жудјети

  Roman: žèleti, žèljeti (sh), žudeti (sh), žudjeti (sh)

• Slovak: túžiť, žiadať, želať si, priať si
• Slovene: želeti (sl) impf
• Spanish: desear (es)
• Swahili: kutamani (sw)
• Swedish: önska (sv), begära (sv), eftertrakta, längta (sv)
• Tamil: ஆசை (ta) (ācai)
• Telugu: ఆశ (te) (āśa), కోరిక (te) (kōrika), ఇచ్చ (te) (icca), అపేక్ష (te) (apēkṣa), అభిలాష (te) (abhilāṣa), వాంఛ (te) (vāñcha)
• Thai: ต้องการ (th) (dtɔ̂ng-gaan), ประสงค์ (th) (bprà-sǒng), ปรารถนา (th) (bpràattànăa)
• Ukrainian: бажа́ти (uk) impf (bažáty)
• Uzbek: xohlamoq (uz)
• Westrobothnian:
• Yiddish: באַגערן (bagern)

want emotionally or sexually

• Armenian: ցանկանալ (hy) (cʻankanal)
• Asturian: desear (ast)
• Bulgarian: жела́я (bg) impf (želája), жаду́вам (bg) impf (žadúvam)
• Catalan: desitjar (ca)
• Czech: toužit (cs)
• Danish: begære, attrå
• Dutch: begeren (nl), verlangen (nl)
• Finnish: himoita (fi)
• French: désirer (fr)
• Galician: desexar (gl)
• German: begehren (de)
• Greek: επιθυμώ (el) (epithymó), ποθώ (el) (pothó)
• Hebrew: חשק (he) (khashák), השתוקק (hishtokék)
• Hungarian: kíván (hu), vágyik (hu)
• Indonesian: hasrat (id)
• Interlingua: desirar
• Italian: desiderare (it), volere (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Korean: 원하다 (ko) (wonhada)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani:

• Latin: desidero, cupio, volo (la)
• Latvian: kāroties, kārot, alkt
• Lithuanian: trokšti, geisti (lt)
• Macedonian: посакува (posakuva), посака (posaka)
• Persian: خواستن (fa) (xâstan), آرزو کردن (fa) (ârezu kardan)
• Polish: pożądać (pl)
• Portuguese: desejar (pt)
• Russian: жела́ть (ru) impf (želátʹ), вожделе́ть (ru) impf (voždelétʹ)
• Spanish: desear (es)
• Swedish: begära (sv), åtrå (sv)
• Thai: ต้องการ (th) (dtɔ̂ng-gaan), ใคร่ (th) (krâi)
• Yiddish: באַגערן (bagern)

Noun

desire (usually uncountable, plural desires)

1. (countable) Someone or something wished for.
   • 2013 June 7, David Simpson, “Fantasy of navigation”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 36:

     It is tempting to speculate about the incentives or compulsions that might explain why anyone would take to the skies in [the] basket [of a balloon]: perhaps out of a desire to escape the gravity of this world or to get a preview of the next; […].

   It is my desire to speak with you.

   You’re my heart’s desire.

2. (uncountable) Strong attraction, particularly romantic or sexual.

   His desire for her kept him awake at night.

3. (uncountable) The feeling of desiring; an eager longing for something.

   Too much desire can seriously affect one’s judgment.

4. (uncountable) Motivation. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Synonyms

• (one or thing wished for): wanna, want-to; See also Thesaurus:desire
• (motivation): wanna, want-to

Translations

something wished for

• Afrikaans: begeerte, wens (af)
• Albanian: dëshirë (sq) f
• Amharic: please add this translation if you can
• Arabic: رَغْبَة f (raḡba)
• Aragonese: please add this translation if you can
• Armenian: ցանկություն (hy) (cʻankutʻyun), իղձ (hy) (iġj)
• Asturian: deséu m
• Aymara: please add this translation if you can
• Azerbaijani: arzu (az)
• Bashkir: теләк (telək)
• Belarusian: жада́нне n (žadánnje)
• Breton: please add this translation if you can
• Bulgarian: жела́ние (bg) n (želánie)
• Catalan: desig (ca) m
• Cherokee: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 慾望/欲望／欲望/欲望, 欲望 (zh) (yùwàng), 願望／愿望 (zh) (yuànwàng), 愿望 (zh) (yuànwàng)

• Czech: přání (cs) n, touha (cs) f
• Danish: ønske (da)
• Dhivehi: please add this translation if you can
• Dutch: verlangen (nl) n, wens (nl) m
• Esperanto: deziro (eo)
• Estonian: soov
• Finnish: halu (fi)
• French: désir (fr) m
• Friulian: please add this translation if you can
• Galician: desexo m
• Georgian: სურვილი (survili)
• German: Begehren (de) n, Wunsch (de) m
• Greek: επιθυμία (el) f (epithymía)

  Ancient: ἐπιθύμημα n (epithúmēma)

• Hausa: please add this translation if you can
• Hawaiian: makemake, ʻiʻini, ʻanoʻi
• Hebrew: חפץ (he) m (ḥefets)
• Hindi: इच्छा (hi) (icchā), चाह (hi) (cāh)
• Hungarian: vágy (hu), kívánság (hu), óhaj (hu)
• Icelandic: löngun (is) f
• Ido: deziro (io)
• Indonesian: keinginan (id), kemauan (id), kehendak (id)
• Irish: mian f
• Italian: desiderio (it) m
• Japanese: 願望 (ja) (ganbō)
• Kazakh: тілек (kk) (tılek), ықылас (yqylas)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Khmer: បំណងប្រាថ្នា (bɑmnɑɑŋ pratnaa)
• Korean: 욕망 (yongmang)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: ئارەزوو (arezû), ئاوات (awat), دڵ خواز (dill xwaz)

• Kyrgyz: тилек (ky) (tilek), каалоо (ky) (kaaloo)
• Latin: voluntas, desiderium, studium (la), cupiditas, cupido (la)
• Latvian: vēlēšanās (lv), vēlme (lv)
• Lithuanian: troškimas m, noras (lt) m, pageidavimas m
• Macedonian: желба f (želba)
• Malay: keinginan
• Malayalam: ആഗ്രഹം (ml) (āgrahaṁ), മോഹം (ml) (mōhaṁ)
• Maltese: please add this translation if you can
• Manx: mian m, dooill m
• Marathi: ईच्छा (īcchā)
• Mirandese: deseio
• Mongolian: хүсэл (mn) (xüsel)
• Norwegian: ønske (no)
• Novial: please add this translation if you can
• Old English: lust
• Persian: آرزو (fa) (ârezu)
• Polish: pragnienie (pl) n, pożądanie (pl) n
• Portuguese: desejo (pt) m
• Romanian: dorință (ro) f, deziderat (ro) n
• Russian: жела́ние (ru) n (želánije), пожела́ние (ru) n (poželánije)
• Serbo-Croatian: жеља f, želja (sh) f, жудња f, žudnja (sh) f
• Sinhalese: please add this translation if you can
• Slovak: túžba f, želanie n
• Slovene: želja (sl) f
• Spanish: deseo (es) m
• Swahili: ari (sw)
• Swedish: önskan (sv), längtan (sv)
• Tajik: орзу (orzu‍), хоҳиш (tg) (xohiš), майл (tg) (mayl), рағбат (raġbat)
• Tamil: please add this translation if you can
• Tatar: теләк (tt) (teläk)
• Telugu: please add this translation if you can
• Thai: ปรารถนา (th) (bpràattànăa), ความต้องการ (th) (kwaam dtông gaan)
• Turkish: arzu (tr)
• Turkmen: isleg
• Ukrainian: бажа́ння (uk) n (bažánnja)
• Urdu: خواہش f (xvāhiś), تمنا f (tamannā)
• Uzbek: orzu (uz), ishtiyoq (uz), istak (uz), tilak (uz)
• Vietnamese: mong muốn
• Volapük: desir (vo)
• Yiddish: באַגער m (bager)

strong attraction

• Armenian: կիրք (hy) (kirkʻ)
• Bulgarian: жела́ние (bg) n (želánie), жадуване (bg) n (žaduvane)
• Catalan: desig (ca) m
• Czech: touha (cs) f
• Danish: begær, lyst (da)
• Dutch: begeerte (nl) f
• Estonian: iha
• Finnish: halu (fi)
• French: désir (fr) m
• Galician: desexo m
• German: Begehren (de) n
• Greek: επιθυμία (el) f (epithymía), πόθος (el) m (póthos)

  Ancient: ἵμερος m (hímeros), ἐπιθυμία f (epithumía), πόθος m (póthos)

• Hebrew: תשוקה (he) f (tshuqa)
• Hungarian: vágy (hu), vonzalom (hu), vonzódás (hu)
• Irish: mian f, dúil f, fonn m, saint (ga) f
• Italian: desiderio (it) m
• Khmer: បំណងប្រាថ្នា (bɑmnɑɑŋ pratnaa)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: ئاواتی دڵ (awatî dill)

• Latin: desiderium, studium (la), cupitas
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Latvian: iekāre f, alkas pl
• Lithuanian: geismas m, potraukis m, aistra f
• Macedonian: копнеж m (kopnež), страст f (strast)
• Malayalam: ആഗ്രഹം (ml) (āgrahaṁ)
• Occitan: please add this translation if you can
• Old English: lust
• Persian: میل (fa) (meyl), خواهش (fa) (xâheš)
• Polish: pożądanie (pl) n
• Portuguese: desejo (pt) m
• Romanian: dorință (ro) f
• Russian: жела́ние (ru) n (želánije), вожделе́ние (ru) n (voždelénije), влече́ние (ru) n (vlečénije)
• Serbo-Croatian: žudnja (sh) f
• Slovene: poželenje n
• Spanish: deseo (es) m
• Swahili: ari (sw)
• Swedish: begär (sv), åtrå (sv)
• Telugu: ఆకర్షణ (te) (ākarṣaṇa)
• Thai: ความใคร่ (th) (kwaam-krâi)
• Urdu: چاہت f (cāhat)
• Yiddish: באַגער m (bager)

feeling of desire

• Armenian: ցանկություն (hy) (cʻankutʻyun), իղձ (hy) (iġj)
• Asturian: deséu m
• Bulgarian: желание (bg) n (želanie)
• Catalan: desig (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 慾望/欲望／欲望/欲望, 欲望 (zh) (yùwàng)

• Czech: touha (cs) f, toužení n
• Danish: lyst (da)
• Finnish: halu (fi)
• French: désir (fr) m
• Galician: desexo m
• German: Begehren (de) n
• Greek: πόθος (el) m (póthos)
• Hebrew: תשוקה (he) f (tshuqa)
• Hungarian: vágy (hu), vágyódás (hu), vágyakozás (hu)
• Ido: deziro (io)
• Irish: mian f, dúil f, fonn m, saint (ga) f
• Italian: desiderio (it) m
• Kannada: ಡಿಸೈರ್ (ḍisair)
• Khmer: បំណងប្រាថ្នា (bɑmnɑɑŋ pratnaa)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: حەز لێکردن (ḧez lêkirdin), ئاواتی دڵ (awatî dill)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Latin: desiderium, studium (la), cupitas
• Latvian: iekāre f, alkas pl, kaisle f, kaislība f
• Lithuanian: geismas m, aistra f
• Macedonian: копнеж m (kopnež), страст f (strast)
• Malayalam: മോഹം (ml) (mōhaṁ)
• Manx: mian m, dooill m
• Old English: lust
• Persian: خواهش (fa) (xâheš), کام (fa) (kâm), یاسه (fa) (yâse)
• Portuguese: desejo (pt) m
• Russian: жела́ние (ru) n (želánije), вожделе́ние (ru) n (voždelénije)
• Sanskrit: तृष्णा (sa) f (tṛṣṇā)
• Scottish Gaelic: drùis f, baois f, baoiseachd f, feòlmhorachd f
• Slovene: poželenje n
• Spanish: deseo (es) m, gana (es) f
• Swahili: ari (sw)
• Swedish: begär (sv), lust (sv), längtan (sv)
• Telugu: కోరిక (te) (kōrika)
• Thai: ความใคร่ (th) (kwaam-krâi), ความปรารถนา (th) (kwaam bpràattànăa), ตัณหา (th) (dtan-hǎa)
• Turkish: arzu hissi
• Ukrainian: бажа́ння (uk) n (bažánnja)
• Urdu: چاہت f (cāhat)
• Yiddish: באַגער m (bager)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} birahi (id), ^{(please verify)} nafsu (id), ^{(please verify)} keinginan (id) , ^{(please verify)} kehendak (id)
• Italian: (1,2) ^{(please verify)} desiderare (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} dorință (ro) f, ^{(please verify)} vrere (ro) f
• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} కోరిక (te) (kōrika), ^{(please verify)} కోరు (te) (kōru)

See also

• velleity

Related terms

• desirable
• desiring-production
• desirous

Further reading

• “desire”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “desire”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• desier, eiders, eresid, redies, reside