31 Other Ways to Say DESIRE | Desire Synonyms (Examples)

When we talk about desire, we mean a strong feeling to want something. Many words can show this feeling in different ways. For example, longing, craving, and yearning are all types of desire. In this article, we will explore 31 synonyms for desire, their meanings, and how to use them with examples.

Synonym	Meaning	Example
Longing	A strong feeling of wanting something	She felt a deep longing to see her family again.
Craving	An intense desire for something	He had a craving for chocolate after dinner.
Yearning	A deep, emotional wish	Her yearning for adventure took her to new countries.
Lust	Strong sexual or passionate desire	He felt a sudden lust for life and excitement.
Want	A need or wish for something	She really wants a new bicycle.
Hunger	A strong need or desire	He had a hunger for knowledge.
Thirst	A strong desire for something	She had a thirst for success in her career.
Passion	Intense interest or desire	His passion for music inspired everyone.
Urge	A strong wish to do something	I have an urge to call my best friend.
Fancy	A liking or desire	He had a fancy for wearing bright clothes.
Covet	To strongly want something someone else has	She coveted her neighbor's beautiful garden.
Infatuation	An intense, short-lived desire	His infatuation with the actor grew quickly.
Yearn	To strongly want something	They yearned for peace in their lives.
Ache	Emotional desire that is intense	She felt an ache for her lost childhood home.
Crave	To deeply want something	He craved attention from his friends.
Desire	A strong feeling of wanting	She had a desire to travel the world.
Ambition	Strong desire to succeed	His ambition led him to become a leader.
Inclination	A natural tendency to want something	He had an inclination to help people.
Zeal	Great energy or enthusiasm for something	She worked with zeal to complete the project.
Covetousness	Strong desire for others' possessions	His covetousness caused problems with friends.
Infatuate	To inspire intense desire	The movie infatuated young fans everywhere.
Fancying	A wish or liking for something	She was fancying a new dress for the party.
Appetite	Desire for something, often food	He had an appetite for spicy food.
Yearningly	Showing deep desire	She looked yearningly at the old photographs.
Wish	A hope or desire for something	He made a wish to win the competition.
Envy	Desire for what others have	She felt envy when she saw her friend's car.
Passionate	Full of strong desire	He was passionate about helping animals.
Longed-for	Something deeply desired	The longed-for holiday finally arrived.
Wanting	Lacking or needing something	He felt wanting for companionship.
Desireful	Full of desire	She was desireful to achieve her dreams.
Coveting	Act of strongly wanting something	He spent years coveting his boss's position.

31 Different Ways to Say DESIRE: Another Word for Desire

Longing

Longing is a strong feeling to want something very much. It is more emotional than a simple wish. People often feel longing when they miss someone or something. This feeling can make you dream or think a lot about what you want. Longing is deeper and often stays for a long time. You can feel it for people, places, or experiences.

She had a longing for her childhood home.
He felt longing to travel to Italy.
Their longing for peace never ended.

Craving

Craving is a very strong desire for something, usually something specific. People often use it for food, drink, or experiences. A craving can be short-term but very powerful. It can make you feel restless or focused on what you want. Craving shows that your desire is urgent and hard to ignore.

She had a craving for ice cream.
He craved adventure and excitement.
They felt a craving for a quiet weekend.

Yearning

Yearning is a deep, emotional wish. It is often linked to feelings of sadness or hope. When you yearn, you feel a strong pull toward something you cannot have yet. This word shows both desire and emotion together. People can yearn for love, success, or freedom.

She yearned for a new start in life.
He felt yearning to see his old friends.
They yearned for a better future.

Lust

Lust is a very strong desire. It can be about love, passion, or physical attraction. Sometimes it is used for excitement or intense energy toward something. Lust shows a powerful, immediate feeling that can be hard to control.

He felt lust for life and adventure.
She experienced lust for her favorite actor.
The team had a lust to win the championship.

Want

Want is a simple word for needing or wishing for something. It is less intense than other words but very common. Everyone wants things in life, from small items to big achievements. It shows what you hope to have or do.

She wants a new book.
He wants to visit the mountains.
They want a happy life.

Hunger

Hunger shows a very strong need or desire, often for knowledge or success. It can make people work hard or feel restless. It is more serious than normal wishing. People with hunger keep trying until they get what they want.

He had a hunger for learning.
She felt hunger to achieve her dreams.
They had a hunger for recognition.

Thirst

Thirst is a strong desire, similar to hunger. It can be for knowledge, success, or experiences. Thirst shows you are not satisfied and always want more. This word often describes ambition or strong personal drive.

She had a thirst for knowledge.
He felt a thirst for adventure.
They had a thirst to win the game.

Passion

Passion is a strong feeling for something you love or care about. People with passion work hard and enjoy their goal. It is more than desire; it gives energy and excitement. Passion can be for hobbies, work, or people.

His passion for music was amazing.
She showed passion for helping animals.
They followed their passion for travel.

Urge

Urge is a sudden strong desire to do something. It can be quick and surprising. People often have urges for actions, decisions, or immediate needs. Urge shows a need that must be acted upon quickly.

I had an urge to call my friend.
She felt an urge to laugh.
He could not resist the urge to explore.

Fancy

Fancy is a light or playful desire for something. It can be liking or wishing for something small or fun. People often fancy clothes, foods, or hobbies. It is less serious than other desires.

She had a fancy for a red hat.
He fancied eating chocolate.
They fancied a day at the beach.

Covet

Covet is a strong desire for something someone else has. It can be positive or negative. People who covet something often want it very much and may feel jealous.

She coveted her neighbor's garden.
He coveted the promotion.
They coveted the rare book.

Infatuation

Infatuation is an intense but short-lived desire. It is often connected to romantic feelings or admiration. People with infatuation feel excitement and strong attraction but may lose interest over time.

His infatuation with the actor grew fast.
She felt infatuation for the new teacher.
They had infatuation for a new trend.

Yearn

Yearn is to strongly want something deeply. It is like longing but can also include hope. People yearn when something is missing or hard to get. It shows emotional desire.

They yearned for freedom.
She yearned to see the mountains.
He yearned for peace in life.

Ache

Ache is a deep emotional desire. It feels like a gentle pain inside because you want something strongly. People can ache for love, home, or dreams. It shows heartfelt wanting.

She felt an ache for her old home.
He ached to see his friends.
They ached for success.

Crave

Crave is a very strong need for something. It can be food, attention, or experiences. People who crave something want it immediately and deeply.

He craved chocolate.
She craved a quiet day.
They craved new adventures.

Desire

Desire is the main word for wanting something strongly. It is a strong feeling to achieve, have, or do something. People can desire success, love, or happiness.

She had a desire to travel.
He desired a peaceful life.
They desired new opportunities.

Ambition

Ambition is a strong wish to succeed or achieve something. It motivates people to work hard. Ambitious people never stop until they reach their goal.

His ambition led him to be a leader.
She showed ambition in school.
They had ambition to start a business.

Inclination

Inclination is a natural wish or tendency toward something. It shows what people usually like or want. Inclination is softer than desire but shows direction of interest.

He had an inclination to help others.
She felt an inclination for art.
They showed inclination to travel.

Zeal

Zeal is a strong energy for something you like. It shows excitement and dedication. People with zeal keep trying and working hard for their goal.

She worked with zeal to finish her project.
He showed zeal for learning new skills.
They approached the game with zeal.

Covetousness

Covetousness is a strong desire for what others have. It can lead to jealousy. People with covetousness want something badly and may compare themselves to others.

His covetousness caused problems.
She felt covetousness for her friend's success.
He showed covetousness for the car.

Infatuate

Infatuate means to inspire strong desire in someone. It is usually short-term and emotional. People can infatuate others with charm or excitement.

The movie infatuated fans everywhere.
She infatuated her friends with stories.
He was infatuated by the game.

Fancying

Fancying is a wish or liking for something. It is gentle and often fun. People can fancy foods, clothes, or activities.

She was fancying a new dress.
He was fancying a cup of tea.
They were fancying a weekend trip.

Appetite

Appetite shows a strong desire for something. It can be for food or experiences. Appetite makes people want more and enjoy what they get.

He had an appetite for spicy food.
She showed appetite for learning.
They had appetite for adventure.

Yearningly

Yearningly describes how someone looks or feels with deep desire. It shows emotion and longing. People act yearningly when they want something badly.

She looked yearningly at old photos.
He stared yearningly at the ocean.
They waited yearningly for the news.

Wish

Wish is a hope or desire for something. It can be small or big. People wish for dreams, success, or happiness.

He made a wish to win.
She wished for a new toy.
They wished to travel together.

Envy

Envy is a desire for what others have. It can be both a feeling and a wish. People feel envy when they want what someone else owns or achieves.

She felt envy for her friend's car.
He showed envy at the new house.
They had envy for the award.

Passionate

Passionate means full of strong desire. It is about energy and care. Passionate people work hard and enjoy what they do.

He was passionate about helping animals.
She was passionate about art.
They were passionate about the project.

Longed-for

Longed-for is something deeply wanted. It shows emotional desire. People often feel relief or joy when their longed-for things arrive.

The longed-for holiday finally came.
He saw his longed-for dream car.
She received the longed-for letter.

Wanting

Wanting is feeling the need for something. It can show lack or desire. People who are wanting hope to find what they need.

He felt wanting for friendship.
She was wanting in knowledge.
They were wanting of time.

Desireful

Desireful means full of desire. It shows eagerness and hope. People who are desireful want something strongly and act on it.

She was desireful to reach her goals.
He felt desireful for success.
They were desireful for new experiences.

Coveting

Coveting is the act of strongly wanting something. It can involve wanting what others have. People who are coveting something focus on it a lot.

He spent years coveting the promotion.
She was coveting the jewelry.
They were coveting a new home.

Final Thoughts

Desire has many forms, and each word gives a slightly different feeling. Using these 31 synonyms helps you express your wishes and feelings clearly. Every word brings its own meaning, from strong passion to gentle longing.