desiring

verb

present participle of desire
1
as in craving
to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy he greatly desired a new mountain bike for his next birthday

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in seeking
to make a request for the host desires a response to the dinner invitation by tomorrow

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of desiring Simply desiring to change the United States’ habit of waging war has not been enough to change it. — Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026 But Newcastle intend to use the proceeds from the Tonali sale to reinvest in their squad, with Howe desiring a goalkeeper, at least one full-back, two midfielders (should Joe Willock also leave) and at least one attacker. — David Ornstein, New York Times, 1 July 2026 Yes, a few reward-like mechanisms are in the thin layer of the models built through reinforcement learning, but the models are overwhelmingly about predicting, not desiring. — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 Beachgoers seeking relief from the recent heat or simply desiring a walk near the ocean have been met over the past week with advisories to stay away and, barring that, warnings to be extremely cautious around waves that have proven tragically powerful along Bay Area coasts. — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 19 June 2026 London joined the organization in 2018, desiring to bring a chapter of the guild to his community in Seattle. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 16 June 2026 Employees who live outside the city — or anyone else desiring to park for an extended time in downtown Hudson — can get a downtown parking permit for $200 annually, or $20 a month, according to the city’s website. — Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 10 June 2026 If desiring a man was a distraction at best and a disgrace at worst for decades, then when were you meant to learn about men? — Taiye Selasi, New Yorker, 31 May 2026 Huxley suggests that the only people on whom immortality would not be wasted are those who have already ceased desiring it. — Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desiring
  1. craving
  2. seeking
  3. wanting
  4. requesting
Verb
  • The success of the aforementioned movies indicates, if nothing else, that audiences are craving something fresh and different.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Iraola’s arrival from Bournemouth marks the return to the high-risk and high-reward football Anfield was craving last season.
    — George Edwards, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of craving
Verb
  • Whether defendant Tyler Robinson acted out of political animus could be key for prosecutors seeking the death penalty — or for his attorneys in taking that punishment off the table.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The Associated Press emailed Twiggs' attorney seeking comment.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of seeking
Verb
  • Barca have not yet given up on him, despite Atletico showing no signs of wanting to sell.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • In my experience, often, clients who ​initially compromised on those details later return wanting them.
    — Janet Linly, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of wanting
Verb
  • Supermicro has also been subpoenaed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, with staff requesting documents related to customers, including the customer that was the subject of the allegations in the indictment.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Since the whistleblower complaints were filed, Ramsey claims city staff has retaliated against him by requesting extensive records concerning a police use-of-force incident from years prior and investigating several complaints against him.
    — James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of requesting

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desires
desiring
desirous
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Cite this Entry

“Desiring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desiring. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on desiring

Nglish: Translation of desiring for Spanish Speakers

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