desire
desire — verb
1. to want something very much, feeling a deep need or wish for it to happen or to
to want something very much, feeling a deep need or wish for it to happen or to be yours — stronger and more formal than the ordinary verb 'want'
After years abroad, Takeshi desired nothing more than to return to his hometown.
desire nothing more than + to-infinitive
The elderly painter desired recognition for her work, though she rarely showed it.
desire + noun phrase (abstract goal)
What the small community desired most was a reliable source of clean water.
Apinya desired a career in medicine, so she applied to several medical schools.
The school principal desired a full report on student progress by Friday.
文法句型
desire + noun phrase
desire + to-infinitive
desire + that-clause
用法筆記
More formal and carries stronger emotional weight than the everyday verb 'want'. Common in literary, academic, and formal written contexts but rarely used in casual conversation to refer to simple needs.
常見錯誤
2. to feel a strong physical or romantic pull toward someone, wanting to be intimat
to feel a strong physical or romantic pull toward someone, wanting to be intimate with them
Henry desired his partner deeply, and their connection grew stronger each year.
desire + person (intimate relationship)
Noor knew from the way he looked at her that he still desired her.
Léa watched her neighbour leave for work each morning, silently desiring him.
In the novel, Walid struggles with his unspoken desire for his closest childhood friend.
- fancy
British, informal, and much lighter in tone
- lust after
stronger, more physical, and often has a negative or crude connotation
- feel repulsed by
to feel strong dislike or disgust instead of attraction
- be indifferent to
to feel neither attraction nor repulsion
文法句型
desire + person
用法筆記
The direct object is always a person. Frequently appears in literary, poetic, and romantic contexts. Less direct and more refined in tone than synonyms like 'lust after'.
常見錯誤
desire — noun
1. a deep feeling of wanting something very much, especially something you do not y
a deep feeling of wanting something very much, especially something you do not yet have or cannot easily get
Christopher's greatest desire was to travel the world and experience different cultures.
greatest desire + was to-infinitive
Meera's desire for a spot on the team grew with each practice session.
desire for + noun phrase
Ayana expressed a strong desire to leave the busy city and move to the countryside.
Jack's desire for a flashy sports car drained his savings.
Eli felt a burning desire to prove everyone wrong about his abilities.
- indifference
lack of interest or concern
- apathy
absence of emotion or enthusiasm
文法句型
desire for + noun phrase
desire + to-infinitive
desire + that-clause
用法筆記
Typically followed by 'for' + noun phrase or 'to' + infinitive. Frequently modified by adjectives such as 'strong', 'deep', 'burning', 'overwhelming', or 'passionate'. Can be both countable (a desire) and uncountable (feel desire).
常見錯誤
2. a strong physical or romantic urge to be intimate with someone, usually understo
a strong physical or romantic urge to be intimate with someone, usually understood as sexual attraction
The novel explores the powerful, forbidden desire between the two main characters.
desire between + plural noun
Saira could not ignore her growing desire for Eli any longer.
growing desire for + person
In many traditional societies, expressing physical desire openly was considered improper.
A sudden surge of desire ran through Heloísa when Walid gently touched her hand.
- lust
stronger, more physical, and often has a negative or crude connotation
- passion
more romantic and emotional; can also refer to anger or enthusiasm
- attraction
broader and less intense; can be non-sexual
文法句型
desire for + person
desire + between + people
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 1 by context: here the object is a person or people, and the feeling is specifically physical or romantic. Frequently modified by 'sexual', 'physical', 'passionate', or 'forbidden'. Often uncountable.
常見錯誤
3. someone or something that a person wants very much — the target of a strong wish
someone or something that a person wants very much — the target of a strong wish, not the feeling of wanting itself
Nora had been the desire of her heart since they met at university.
the desire of [possessive] heart
The grand piano in the shop window was his one true material desire.
For the tired explorers, the hidden valley became the desire of their long journey.
In the folk tale, the ring was the desire of all who knew its power.
- dream
more aspirational and less literary; suggests something ideal rather than concrete
- goal
more practical and achievable; less emotional
- object of one's affection
specifically for a person; more sentimental in tone
文法句型
[possessive] + desire
the desire of + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense is more literary and poetic than noun senses 1 and 2. Unlike those, which name the feeling, this sense names the thing or person that is the target of the feeling. Commonly found in phrases like 'the desire of my heart' or 'my heart's desire'.