DESIRE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does desire mean? 

• DESIRE (noun)
  The noun DESIRE has 3 senses:

1. the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

2. an inclination to want things

3. something that is desired

  Familiarity information: DESIRE used as a noun is uncommon.

• DESIRE (verb)
  The verb DESIRE has 3 senses:

1. feel or have a desire for; want strongly

2. expect and wish

3. express a desire for

  Familiarity information: DESIRE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DESIRE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Hypernyms ("desire" is a kind of...):

feeling (the experiencing of affective and emotional states)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "desire"):

caprice; impulse; whim (a sudden desire)

itch; urge (a strong restless desire)

concupiscence; eros; physical attraction; sexual desire (a desire for sexual intimacy)

hungriness; longing; yearning (prolonged unfulfilled desire or need)

want; wish; wishing (a specific feeling of desire)

craving (an intense desire for some particular thing)

temptation (the desire to have or do something that you know you should avoid)

bloodlust (a desire for bloodshed)

ambition; aspiration; dream (a cherished desire)

Derivation:

desire (feel or have a desire for; want strongly)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An inclination to want things

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

a man of many desires

Hypernyms ("desire" is a kind of...):

inclination; tendency (a characteristic likelihood of or natural disposition toward a certain condition or character or effect)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "desire"):

greed (excessive desire to acquire or possess more (especially more material wealth) than one needs or deserves)

hunger; hungriness; thirst; thirstiness (strong desire for something (not food or drink))

Derivation:

desire (feel or have a desire for; want strongly)

desire (express a desire for)

desire (expect and wish)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Something that is desired

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("desire" is a kind of...):

arousal (a state of heightened physiological activity)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "desire"):

passion; rage (something that is desired intensely)

materialism; philistinism (a desire for wealth and material possessions with little interest in ethical or spiritual matters)

Derivation:

desire (feel or have a desire for; want strongly)

desire (express a desire for)

desire (expect and wish)

desirous (having or expressing desire for something)

• DESIRE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they desire    ... he / she / it desires   
Past simple: desired   
Past participle: desired   
-ing form: desiring   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Feel or have a desire for; want strongly

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

desire; want

Context example:

I want my own room

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "desire"):

seek (try to get or reach)

hanker; long; yearn (desire strongly or persistently)

lech after; lust after (have a strong sexual desire for)

begrudge; envy (be envious of; set one's heart on)

feel like (have an inclination for something or some activity)

ambition (have as one's ambition)

like (want to have)

itch; spoil (have a strong desire or urge to do something)

care; like; wish (prefer or wish to do something)

wish; wish well (feel or express a desire or hope concerning the future or fortune of)

wish (hope for; have a wish)

hope (be optimistic; be full of hope; have hopes)

miss (feel or suffer from the lack of)

fancy; go for; take to (have a fancy or particular liking or desire for)

crave; hunger; lust; starve; thirst (have a craving, appetite, or great desire for)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE
Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Sentence example:

They desire to move

Derivation:

desire (an inclination to want things)

desire (the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state)

desire (something that is desired)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Expect and wish

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

desire; hope; trust

Context example:

I hope she understands that she cannot expect a raise

Hypernyms (to "desire" is one way to...):

wish (hope for; have a wish)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sentence example:

They desire to move

Derivation:

desire (an inclination to want things)

desire (something that is desired)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Express a desire for

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "desire" is one way to...):

ask for; bespeak; call for; quest; request (express the need or desire for)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

desire (an inclination to want things)

desire (something that is desired)

 Context examples 

He moped after her departure from Holdernesse Hall, and it was for this reason that the Duke desired to send him to my establishment.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

They were always very careful, I observed, to turn my face away from the window, so that I became consumed with the desire to see what was going on behind my back.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

For some seconds, unwilling to hurt her, yet dogged in his desire to return to the attack, Hans dodged back and forth.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

I hesitated, the desire to race back and up the steps to the deck almost overpowering me.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Back from sea Martin Eden came, homing for California with a lover's desire.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

All other things, our powers our desires, our food, are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

For days his manifestations of desire to lay hands on him had been growing more insistent, and during that time White Fang had been compelled to avoid the camp.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

But the blots were more expressive to me than the best composition; for they showed me that Peggotty had been crying all over the paper, and what could I have desired more?

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

It was certainly proposing under difficulties, for even if he had desired to do so, Mr. Bhaer could not go down upon his knees, on account of the mud.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

His glimpse that he have had, whet his appetite only and enkeen his desire.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)