De‐sire″ (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p.Desired (?); p. pr. & vb. n.Desiring.] [F. désirer, L. desiderare, origin uncertain, perh. fr. de- + sidus star, constellation, and hence orig., to turn the eyes from the stars. Cf. Consider, and Desiderate, and see Sidereal.] 1. To long for; to wish for earnestly; to covet.
Neither shall any man desire thy land. Ex. xxxiv. 24.
Ye desire your child to live. Tennyson.
2. To express a wish for; to entreat; to request.
Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? 2 Kings iv. 28.
Desire him to go in; trouble him no more. Shak.
3. To require; to demand; to claim.
A doleful case desires a doleful song. Spenser.
4. To miss; to regret.
She shall be pleasant while she lives, and desired when she dies. Jer. Taylor.
Syn. — To long for; hanker after; covet; wish; ask; request; solicit; entreat; beg. — To Desire, Wish. In desire the feeling is usually more eager than in wish. “I wish you to do this” is a milder form of command than “I desire you to do this,” though the feeling prompting the injunction may be the same. C. J. Smith.