1
as in urge
a strong wish for something
a desire for adventure and excitement prompted him to travel to Africa
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in passion
sexual appetite
ads for drugs that increase desire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in appeal
an earnest request
at the delegate's desire, the voice vote on the controversial measure was followed by an actual roll call
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to crave
to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy
he greatly desired a new mountain bike for his next birthday
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to seek
to make a request for
the host desires a response to the dinner invitation by tomorrow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of desire
Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 24 July 2025
The hard-hitting redshirt senior fit coach Eli Drinkwitz’s desire to obtain production in the portal: In two seasons in Lincoln, Gbayor tallied 73 total tackles (nine for loss).
—Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2025
The Editors, National Review, 21 July 2025
Place on a cutting board, cover with wax or parchment paper and pound to desired thinness.
—Oc Register, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for desire
Noun
Expanding the burger chain's drinks lineup could help McDonald's compete better with fast-growing beverage chains like Dutch Bros., 7 Brew Drive Thru Coffee and Swig, which have all leaned into consumers' desire to customize their drinks.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 24 July 2025
The hard-hitting redshirt senior fit coach Eli Drinkwitz’s desire to obtain production in the portal: In two seasons in Lincoln, Gbayor tallied 73 total tackles (nine for loss).
—Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2025
Verb
This is in fact an insult to the American people who do not desire the appearance of cruelty but the reality of firmness and fairness.
—The Editors, National Review, 21 July 2025
Place on a cutting board, cover with wax or parchment paper and pound to desired thinness.
—Oc Register, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for desire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desire
Noun
-
Deep listening is the discipline of being fully present with another person—suspending judgment, setting aside distractions, and resisting the urge to formulate a response.—
Tima Bansal,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
-
At a low point, Stevie decided to transform her suicidal urges into homicidal ones.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
17 July 2025
Noun
-
Come for the hard news and stay for stuff that feeds your passions: top-shelf dining, sports and music content.—
Benjamin Goad,
The Tennessean,
26 July 2025
-
After finishing her schooling, Laine worked in a variety of day jobs, although her passion for performing never wavered.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 July 2025
Noun
-
Despite Chinese foldables being clearly superior the past few years, various factors (some out of their control) have prevented Chinese foldables from reaching mainstream appeal.—
Ben Sin,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
-
The appeal of the ongoing trend may be explained by its potential to offer a sense of soothing in a volatile world, fashion psychologist Jennifer Heinen told WWD.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
Some employees crave in-person collaboration, while others question the necessity of reverting to old norms.—
Dr. Adil Dalal,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
-
However, for visitors craving long stretches of uninterrupted coastline, Padre Island National Seashore and Mustang Island State Park are fantastic destinations to explore.—
Gabi De la Rosa,
Southern Living,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
However, people still seek popularity because cool people tend to reap more social rewards.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
Priya first arrived in Yemen in 2008, joining the ranks of more than two million people from Kerala who have sought better livelihoods across the Middle East.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
With this new creation, Liu turns our gaze back to earth, exploring the existential solitude and quiet observation of these aging machines as metaphors for diasporic longing, technological obsolescence and the search for connection and purpose.—
Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
-
The characters become avatars for our own longing, heartbreak, hopefulness and grief ...—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
Spanning every emotion between anger and lust, this collection makes for a fiery must-read.—
Wanjeri Gakuru
July 11,
Literary Hub,
11 July 2025
-
The character is caught between a manic id fueled equally by a painful breakup and the lust of new love, and the debilitating superego induced by the same life events.—
Anna Peele,
Rolling Stone,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Some families supported the plea deal to avoid a lengthy trial while ensuring punishment for Kohberger.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
19 July 2025
-
There is no evidence Mueller weighed in on the investigation of Epstein, and his plea deal was handled by Alexander Acosta, then U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, whom Trump appointed as Secretary of Labor in his first term.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
19 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desire. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share