DESIRE definition : 1. a strong feeling that you want something: 2. a strong feeling of being sexually attracted to…. Learn more. desire definition : strong feeling of wanting something. Check meanings, examples, usage tips, pronunciation, domains, and related words. Discover expressions like " desire to know", "burning desire to succeed", "the object of one's desire ". Desire is usually used not just when you long for any old thing, but for something that is associated with giving great pleasure. Thus, you might want to get an A on a test, but you desire a piece of chocolate cake. Theories of desire aim to define desires in terms of their essential features. [1] A great variety of features are ascribed to desires, like that they are propositional attitudes, that they lead to actions, that their fulfillment tends to bring pleasure, etc. [2][3] Across the different theories of desires, there is a broad agreement about what these features are. Their disagreement concerns which of these features belong to the essence of desires and which ones are merely accidental or ...