desire means the feeling of desiring; an eager longing for something. It carries an Arena rating of 1777, earned across 23 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, desire ranks #81 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #4,435 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #4,480 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #4,718 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words.
desire is pronounced /dɪˈzaɪə/.
Why “desire” is a great word
A profound craving, a directed ache of the spirit toward an object, state, or person that promises fulfillment. From Middle English *desir*, *desire* (noun) and *desiren* (verb), from Old French *desirer*, from Latin *dēsīdērō* ("to long for, miss, desire"), possibly from the phrase *de sidere* ("from the stars"), relating to astrological longing. Unlike "want," which suggests a mundane lack, or "wish," which implies a fanciful hope, desire is the engine of pursuit, a gravity that pulls the self toward its object. It is the dry-mouthed scent of rain on hot pavement, the hand hovering above skin without touching, the silent, insistent pull of a star seen through a window at midnight—an ancient, distant hunger felt in the blood, the quiet tyranny of an absence that organizes a life.
Etymology
From Middle English desir, desire (noun) and desiren (verb), 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 and desiderate. The verb, along with Old Norse derived want (verb), has mostly replaced native will in modern English.
noun
- The feeling of desiring; an eager longing for something.e.g.“Too much desire can seriously affect one’s judgement.”
- Someone or something wished for.e.g.“It is my desire to speak with you.”
- Strong attraction, particularly romantic or sexual.e.g.“His desire for her kept him awake at night.”
- Motivation.
verb
- To want; to wish for earnestly.e.g.“I desire to speak with you.”
- To put a request to (someone); to entreat.e.g.“And when they founde no cause of deeth in hym, yet desired they Pilate to kyll him.” — 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts:
- To want emotionally or sexually.e.g.“She has desired him since they first met.”
- To express a wish for; to entreat; to request.e.g.“Then shee said, Did I desire a sonne of my Lord ? did I not say, Doe not deceiue me?” — 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Kings 4:28:
- To require; to demand; to claim.e.g.“A doleful case desires a doleful song.” — c. 1580, Edmund Spenser, The Teares of the Muses:
- To miss; to regret.e.g.“She shall be pleasant while she lives, and desired when she dies.” — 1651–1653, Jer[emy] Taylor, ΕΝΙΑΥΤΟΣ [Eniautos]. A Course of Sermons for All the Sundays of the Year. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Richard Royston […], published 1655, →OCLC:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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