Standard Lemma guide

desirous

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /dɪˈzaɪəɹəs/
  • UK: /dɪˈzaɪɹəs/
  • UK: /dəˈzaɪɹəs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪəɹəs
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 Z AY1 R AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Feeling desire; eagerly wishing; eager to obtain.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: solicitous, covetous

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective

Meaning 2

having or expressing desire for something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • desirous of high office
  • desirous of finding a quick solution to the problem

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: wishful

Antonyms: undesirous

History

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French desirrous, from desirrer + -ous.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: desitjós — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain
  • French: désireux — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain
  • French: désirant — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain
  • Galician: desexoso — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain
  • Hindi: इच्छुक (icchuk) — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain
  • Irish: áilíosach — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain
  • Irish: dúilmhear — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain
  • Irish: fonnmhar — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain
  • Irish: geallmhar — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain
  • Irish: miangasach — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain
  • Irish: mianúil — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain
  • Māori: korotū — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain
  • Persian: مشتاق (moštâq) — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain
  • Sanskrit: वष्टि (vaṣṭi) — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain
  • Sanskrit: गृध्र (gṛdhra) — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain
  • Scottish Gaelic: togarrach — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain
  • Spanish: deseoso — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain
  • Spanish: turnio — feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain