DESIRES Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words

desires 1 of 2

noun

plural of desire

as in appeals

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

Relevance

desires

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of desire

as in craves

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

as in requests

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 desires

Noun

Instead, the creditor can use the asset any way the creditor desires. — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Not as an idealised image of femininity, but as individuals carrying contradictions, expectations and desires. — Photovogue, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2026 And the concierge arranges virtually anything your heart desires, whether that's a private bike tour around the beaches of the Kennebunks, a hot air balloon ride, a cooking class, or a private dinner in the restaurant's wine cellar. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026 City council member Elizabeth Beck, whose district also includes portions of Hemphill, said that the responses from the community reflected that what makes sense in urban planning may not always fit the neighborhood’s desires. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026 The two bills would ramp up penalties for lawyers who scout for clients at hospitals, jails and accident sites and bar lawyers from prioritizing the desires of private investors who fund lawsuits. — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 But most Buddhists see this goal as out of reach in this lifetime and instead have desires for worldly things, such as getting a job, winning the lottery or finding a spouse. — Brooke Schedneck, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026 Wild finds a group of mostly early 20-somethings toasting to causing trouble and giving in to their desires as the youngest member, Yoonchae Jeung, turns 18. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026 Now, this is standard operating procedure in matters such as this, and leans not much at all to the desires of the DGA, the suddenly corporately compliant IATSE and others for a deal to avoid a trial. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026

Verb

Jaissle desires an on-field lieutenant in midfield who can provide a calm head and help guide and nurture the younger players around him. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026 Concerns should be raised honestly, and employees should cooperate in good faith, remembering that the new manager was hired for their experience and knowledge that the organization desires. — Dr. Cynthia J. Young, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 The portrait of Musk that emerges here is that of a childish, terminally online man who desires to eliminate the messiness of contemporary life for a more rigid order. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 13 July 2026 In Cancer, Venus desires emotional safety, loyalty and genuine intimacy. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026 On the eve of her 18th birthday, June (now portrayed by Justine Moore) desires a love match. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 22 Mar. 2026 Your heart desires the familiar as Venus enters Pisces. — Usa Today, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026 Trump’s National Security Strategy focuses intensely on the Western Hemisphere, at the expense of Asia, and the administration ardently desires a trade deal and strategic coordination with Beijing. — Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2026 Anderson's Constance Van Ness, the head of a rich mining family in the frontier town of Angel’s Ridge, desires the silver buried beneath Jasper Hollow, a tract of land partially owned by Headey's headstrong Fiona, a mother to four orphans. — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for desires

Noun

Keep photos, serial numbers, maintenance receipts and technician notes because these only strengthen claims and appeals.

— Alora Bopray, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Habeas petitions are often filed as a last resort and to protect against unlawful confinement after appeals are exhausted, as happened after Maxwell’s conviction and sentencing.

— Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of appeals

Verb

Yes, the automaker’s famed dual-clutch PDK remains the way to go if pure speed is what a driver craves, but those who feel that rowing through the gears adds to the experience can now choose to upgrade the model with the MT package.

— Bryan Campbell, Robb Report, 13 Aug. 2026
In any case, local elections scheduled for November will provide a bellwether for whether her message has cut through with a Taiwanese electorate that craves neither confrontation nor political absorption.

— Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of craves

Verb

Proton Mail, acting as a proxy, requests the image and caches it on its own servers.

— Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
The person asked for gas money and Bitcoin, requests the family found suspicious because Goods doesn't drive and didn't have a car in Las Vegas.

— Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of requests

Noun

For good measure, Pabst’s social media updates took a tongue-in-cheek approach that may have actually convinced people the posts were more playful than actual pleas for help.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
The Valkyries’ coaching staff’s pleas to the officiating crew for a flagrant foul call were not successful.

— Marisa Ingemi, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of pleas

Verb

The acquisition’s financing depends on savings that the protections everyone wants would prohibit.

— Joseph M. Singer, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
Garden Homes wants to build at 30 Parade Hill Road, a small property a little less than a mile north of the town’s commercial center and a bit more than a mile south of the New Canaan Country Club.

— Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of wants

Verb

The guideline seeks to avoid clubs inflating their bottom lines through what the governing body terms ‘player exchange transactions’.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
The three-time Daytona 500 winner also seeks his first win in the summer race.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of seeks

Noun

Guests were encouraged to offer prayers by sprinkling tobacco, sage, white cedar, and sweetgrass on the fire.

— Gregory Harutunian, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
By early October, fears intensified after Parton’s sister, Freida Parton, took to Facebook and asked fans for their prayers.

— Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of prayers

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“Desires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desires. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of desires

noun

verb

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