# defining vs desiring

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### defining
*adjective · frequency rank #7,554*
Serving to define or distinguish.

### desiring
*verb · IPA /dɪˈzaɪ(ə)ɹɪŋ/ · frequency rank #32,349*
present participle and gerund of desire

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/defining-vs-desiring