Synonyms for desire
- noun
- verb
All synonyms
Noun
1. Thirst — someone or something wished for
want, thirst, hope, wish, longing, pleasure formal, mind, crave, appetite, craving, passion, ambition, need, eagerness, aspiration, yearning, hankering, yearn, concupiscence, request, inclination, will
Other
want-to informal, cupidity, attraction, avidity, entreaty, solicit, petition, appetition rare, velleity rare
Verb
lust after, aspire, prefer, decide, covet, please, trust, long for, desiderate rare
Definitions
- n. 1
Someone or something wished for.
You’re my heart’s desire.
- v. 1
To want; to wish for earnestly.
I desire to speak with you.
Related words
- Word family
- desideratum desirability desirableness desirable desirous
- Phrases
- desire line desire path
Choose the right word
Even when we speak of a strong or decided inclination we do not express the intensity of desire.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- wish I wish I could go with you, but as it is, I can't.
- thirst He satisfied his thirst with a large glass of beer.
- longing He never lost his whimsical longing for adventure.
- crave I crave change but lack the energy to pursue it.
- attraction The old cathedral is a popular tourist attraction.
- entreaty She looked at me with a passionate expression of entreaty.
By length
- 4 letters
- will1, want1, need1, hope1, mind1, wish1
- 5 letters
- trust1, crave1, yearn1, covet2
- 6 letters
- please1, decide2, prefer2, thirst1, aspire2
- 7 letters
- request2, passion2, craving2, longing2, solicit3, avidity
- 8 letters
- pleasure2, petition3, appetite3, ambition3, yearning2, entreaty3, cupidity4, velleity
- 9 letters
- eagerness3, hankering3
- 10 letters
- attraction3, aspiration4, appetition, desiderate
- 11 letters
- inclination4
- 13 letters
- concupiscence
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (covet2 = 2 syllables).