Meaning of "desire" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD DESIRE

From Old French desirer, from Latin dēsīderāre to desire earnestly.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF DESIRE

desire  [dɪˈzaɪə]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF DESIRE

Desire is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb desire in English.

WHAT DOES DESIRE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Desire

Desire is a sense of longing or hoping for a person, object, or outcome. The same sense is expressed by emotions such as "craving" or "hankering". When a person desires something or someone, their sense of longing is excited by the enjoyment or the thought of the item or person, and they want to take actions to obtain their goal. The motivational aspect of desire has long been noted by philosophers; Thomas Hobbes asserted that human desire is the fundamental motivation of all human action. In Hinduism, the Rig Veda's creation myth Nasadiya Sukta states regarding the one spirit: "In the beginning there was Desire that was first seed of mind. Poets found the bond of being in non-being in their heart's thought". In Buddhism, for an individual to effect his or her liberation, the flow of sense-desire must be cut completely; however, while training, he or she must work with motivational processes based on skilfully applied desire. According to the early Buddhist scriptures, the Buddha stated that monks should "generate desire" for the sake of fostering skillful qualities and abandoning unskillful ones.

Definition of desire in the English dictionary

The first definition of desire in the dictionary is to wish or long for; crave; want. Other definition of desire is to express a wish or make a request for; ask for. Desire is also a wish or longing; craving.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO DESIRE

PRESENT

Present

I desire

you desire

he/she/it desires

we desire

you desire

they desire

Present continuous

I am desiring

you are desiring

he/she/it is desiring

we are desiring

you are desiring

they are desiring

Present perfect

I have desired

you have desired

he/she/it has desired

we have desired

you have desired

they have desired

Present perfect continuous

I have been desiring

you have been desiring

he/she/it has been desiring

we have been desiring

you have been desiring

they have been desiring

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I desired

you desired

he/she/it desired

we desired

you desired

they desired

Past continuous

I was desiring

you were desiring

he/she/it was desiring

we were desiring

you were desiring

they were desiring

Past perfect

I had desired

you had desired

he/she/it had desired

we had desired

you had desired

they had desired

Past perfect continuous

I had been desiring

you had been desiring

he/she/it had been desiring

we had been desiring

you had been desiring

they had been desiring

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will desire

you will desire

he/she/it will desire

we will desire

you will desire

they will desire

Future continuous

I will be desiring

you will be desiring

he/she/it will be desiring

we will be desiring

you will be desiring

they will be desiring

Future perfect

I will have desired

you will have desired

he/she/it will have desired

we will have desired

you will have desired

they will have desired

Future perfect continuous

I will have been desiring

you will have been desiring

he/she/it will have been desiring

we will have been desiring

you will have been desiring

they will have been desiring

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would desire

you would desire

he/she/it would desire

we would desire

you would desire

they would desire

Conditional continuous

I would be desiring

you would be desiring

he/she/it would be desiring

we would be desiring

you would be desiring

they would be desiring

Conditional perfect

I would have desire

you would have desire

he/she/it would have desire

we would have desire

you would have desire

they would have desire

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been desiring

you would have been desiring

he/she/it would have been desiring

we would have been desiring

you would have been desiring

they would have been desiring

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you desire
we let´s desire
you desire

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to desire

Past participle

desired

Present Participle

desiring

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «DESIRE»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «desire» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of desire

ache · appeal · appetite · ask · aspiration · carnality · concupiscence · covet · crave · craving · desiderate · entreat · entreaty · fancy · hankering · hope · hunger · importune · importunity · inclination · lasciviousness · lechery · libido · longing · lust · lustfulness · need · passion · petition · randiness · request · solicit · solicitation · supplication · thirst · urge · want · wish · yearning · yen

TRANSLATION OF DESIRE

Find out the translation of desire to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of desire from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «desire» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 愿望
• Translator English - Spanish: deseo
• English: desire
• Translator English - Hindi: इच्छा
• Translator English - Arabic: رَغْبَة
• Translator English - Russian: желание
• Translator English - Portuguese: desejo
• Translator English - Bengali: ইচ্ছা
• Translator English - French: désir
• Translator English - Malay: keinginan
• Translator English - German: Verlangen
• Translator English - Japanese: 希望
• Translator English - Korean: 욕구
• Translator English - Javanese: Kepinginan
• Translator English - Vietnamese: sự mong muốn
• Translator English - Tamil: ஆசை
• Translator English - Marathi: इच्छा
• Translator English - Turkish: arzu etmek
• Translator English - Italian: desiderio
• Translator English - Polish: życzenie
• Translator English - Ukrainian: бажання
• Translator English - Romanian: dorință
• Translator English - Greek: πόθος
• Translator English - Afrikaans: begeerte
• Translator English - Swedish: åtrå
• Translator English - Norwegian: ønske

10 QUOTES WITH «DESIRE»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word desire.

1

Shmuel Yosef Agnon

Through these offices it was my privilege to get to know almost every Jewish person, and those whom I did not come to know through these offices I came to know through love and a desire to know my brethren, the members of my people.

2

Neil Armstrong

Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand.

3

Johnny Ball

Discrimination due to age is one of the great tragedies of modern life. The desire to work and be useful is what makes life worth living, and to be told your efforts are not needed because you are the wrong age is a crime.

4

Darren Boyd

Three and a half years in L.A. was enough for me. I would love to go back for short bursts if a film opportunity came up, but it's a unique place, and you can reach saturation point. For me it was a place where creative desire and ambition meets desperation. It's in the air; it's palpable - I just didn't want to be around that.

5

Saffron Burrows

If I was going to make a broad generalisation, I'd say that I prefer the company of women. People know now that I live with Mike Figgis, but I prefer not to talk about it. On one level, privacy is important, but on another level I have no desire to deny certain things.

6

Henry Campbell-Bannerman

You have indeed done much since the new century began to give shape and substance to the growing, the insistent desire that war may be banished from the earth.

7

Patrick Chan

I skate just to satisfy my own desire and not care about other people's desire for me to do well.

8

Pierre Corneille

Desire increases when fulfillment is postponed.

9

Otto Dix

Not that painting would have been a release. The reason for doing it is the desire to create. I've got to do it! I've seen that, I can still remember it, I've got to paint it.

10

Will Durant

Knowledge is the eye of desire and can become the pilot of the soul.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «DESIRE»

Discover the use of desire in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to desire and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-eye View of the World

Focusing on the human relationship with plants, uses botany to explore four basic human desires--sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control--through of four plants that embody them: the apple, tulip, marijuana, and potato.

Michael Pollan, 2001

Desire: Its Role in Practical Reason and the Explanation of ...

G.F. Schueler examines this hotly debatedtopic in philosophy of action and moral philosophy, arguing that once two senses of "desire" aredistinguished -- roughly, genuine desires and pro attitudes -- apparently plausible explanations ...

G. F. Schueler, 1995

Desire/Love

At the same time, other modes of explanation have been offered by popular and mass culture. In these domains, sexual desire is not deemed the core story of life; it is mixed up with romance, a particular version of the story of love.

Lauren Berlant, 2012

Desire: Where Sex Meets Addiction

Explores sex addiction as a valid medical disorder, tracing the author's personal search for understanding in the face of cultural messages about women and sexuality, in an anecdotal account that draws on the advice of doctors who study the ...

Susan Cheever, 2009

Desire: The Journey We Must Take to Find the Life God Offers

This book will stir your heart and invite you to know the one desire that captures all passion for His purpose. Drink in this work, and your life will not be the same.” Dan Allender, Author, The Healing Path

John Eldredge, 2007

Desire and Domestic Fiction: A Political History of the Novel

She also examines the works of such novelists as Richardson, Jane Austen, and the Bront s to reveal the ways in which these authors rewrite the domestic practices and sexual relations of the past to create the historical context through ...

Nancy Armstrong, 1987

Burning with Desire: The Conception of Photography

" In this book, Geoffrey Batchen analyzes the desire to photograph as it emerged within the philosophical and scientific milieus that preceded the actual invention of photography.

Geoffrey Batchen, 1999

Between Men: English Literature and Male Homosocial Desire

At the time of its first appearance in 1985 Between Men was viewed as an important intervention into Feminist as well as Gay and Lesbian studies.

Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, 1985

Desire: A History of European Sexuality

Drawing on a rich array of sources including poetry, novels, pornography and film as well as court records, autobiographies and personal letters, this volume integrates the history of heterosexuality with same-sex desire, and explores the ...

Anna Clark, 2012

What Do Women Want?: Adventures in the Science of Female Desire

Incendiary, profoundly insightful, and brilliantly illuminating, What Do Women Want? will change the conversation about women and sex, and is sure to spark dynamic discussion for years to come.

Daniel Bergner, 2013

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «DESIRE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term desire is used in the context of the following news items.

“Self-centred” Scott Disick blasted over his new desire after Kourtney …

The father-of-three was trolled by upset fans on his social networks after he posted a picture of the vintage pair of wheels on Wednesday. «Mirror.co.uk, Jul 15»

Rodgers the reason for Sterling exit desire

Raheem Sterling did not train with Liverpool on Wednesday amid reports he wants to leave because he does not want to play for Brendan ... «Teamtalk.com, Jul 15»

Ashes 2015: The Urning desire

SO fervent is the fad to write eulogies about Test cricket these days, that it might turn into someone's vocation soon. But if there's one period ... «The Indian Express, Jul 15»

Ryan Reynolds Has "No Desire" To Play Another Superhero After …

“I have no desire to play any other superheroes after this,” the actor told Huffington Post. “Hopefully we'll get to do 'Deadpool' again. Given the ... «We Got This Covered, Jul 15»

Al Ain 'respect' Asamoah Gyan's desire to leave, vow replacement …

Speaking immediately following Gyan's departure, Mohammed bin Bdoua, an Al Ain board member, said: “We respect Gyan's desire to leave to ... «The National, Jul 15»

Review: A schemer made helpless by desire

A fascinating character, Natalya is a scheming manipulator who becomes helpless in the face of her desire. However, Aislín McGuckin is too ... «Irish Independent, Jul 15»

China Expresses Desire to Increase Its Oil Investments in Sudan

Khartoum — China has expressed its desire to increase its oil investments in Sudan and its commitment to the programme on the increase oil ... «AllAfrica.com, Jul 15»

Desire to work abroad, brain drain in M'sia likely to continue

Perspective Strategies Managing Director, Andy See Teong Leng, said while the young people's desire to relocate to another country may be ... «The Borneo Post, Jul 15»

Sleeping better leads to greater sexual desire, study says

Researchers believe that sufficient sleep will act positively a woman's desire for sex and also the quality of intercourse through better genital ... «Capital FM Kenya, Jul 15»

HTC Desire 820G Plus now available in India

htc-desire-820g+ Perhaps the last variant of the Desire 820 series from HTC, Desire 820G+, is now available in India at Rs 17,500. «Real Time News, India, Jul 15»