# desire

Pronunciation: US say "di-ZYR" /dɪˈzaɪɹ/; UK say "di-ZY-uh" /dɪˈzaɪə/

## Verb

1. To want something; to wish for it earnestly.
   - Simple: To want something very much and hope to get it.
   - _Most people desire security and a sense of belonging._
   - _He desired nothing more than a quiet evening at home after the long trip._
5. To want someone emotionally or sexually.
   - Simple: To want someone in a romantic or physical way.
   - _It's possible to desire someone you barely know._
   - _Years into the marriage, she still desired him as much as ever._

## Noun

2. A strong wish or longing for something, including the drive to pursue or achieve it.
   - Simple: A strong feeling of wanting something, including wanting to succeed or reach a goal.
   - _A deep desire for recognition shaped much of his early career._
   - _He spoke of his desire for peace with obvious emotion in his voice._
3. Someone or something that is wished for; the object of a person's longing.
   - Simple: A person or thing that someone wants very much.
   - _The crown had been his father's desire long before it became his own._
   - _Their desires were modest: steady work and a safe home._
4. Strong attraction felt toward another person, particularly of a romantic or sexual nature.
   - Simple: A strong feeling of wanting someone in a romantic or sexual way.
   - _The novel traces the slow growth of desire between the two main characters._
   - _Desire flickered between them across the crowded room._

## Verb

6. To require something as necessary, or to demand or claim it as one's due. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To need something or demand it as necessary.
7. To ask for something, or ask someone to do something; to request formally. *(dated)*
   - Simple: To formally ask for something, or ask someone to do something.
   - _Kindly desire the porter to carry our bags up to the room before dinner._
   - _"His lordship desires you to wait in the library," the butler said._
8. To miss someone or something lost; to feel regret over their absence. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To miss someone or something that is gone.

## Origin

From Middle English "desir" (noun) and "desiren" (verb), from Old French "desirer", from Latin "dēsīderō" ("to long for, feel the want of, miss"). It apparently comes from "de-" plus "sidus" (in the phrase "de sidere", "from the stars"), connected with astrological hopes. Old English had expressed the idea with native words such as "wilnung".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/desire (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).