# desire

> English word · Verb · IPA /dɪˈzaɪə/ · frequency rank #2,436

## Definitions
1. To want; to wish for earnestly.
2. To put a request to (someone); to entreat.
3. To want emotionally or sexually.
4. To express a wish for; to entreat; to request.
5. To require; to demand; to claim.
6. To miss; to regret.

## 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.

## Easily confused with
- **dire** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desire-vs-dire)
- **device** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desire-vs-device)
- **devise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desire-vs-devise)
- **desist** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desire-vs-desist)
- **Devine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desire-vs-devine)
- **despite** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desire-vs-despite)
- **desired** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desire-vs-desired)
- **desires** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desire-vs-desires)
- **despise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desire-vs-despise)
- **Desi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desi-vs-desire)
- **design** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/design-vs-desire)
- **decide** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/decide-vs-desire)
- **desert** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desert-vs-desire)
- **define** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/define-vs-desire)
- **demise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/demise-vs-desire)
- **Denise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/denise-vs-desire)
- **derive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/derive-vs-desire)
- **defile** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/defile-vs-desire)
- **demure** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/demure-vs-desire)
- **deserve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deserve-vs-desire)

## Common misspellings (8)
`ddesire`, `deisre`, `desier`, `desirre`, `desrie`, `dessire`, `dseire`, `edsire`

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