Desire.
Synonyms:
| appetency, | concupiscence, | hankering, | proclivity, |
| appetite, | coveting, | inclination, | propensity, |
| aspiration, | craving, | longing, | wish. |
Inclination is the mildest of these terms; it is a quiet, or even a vague or unconscious, tendency. Even when we speak of a strong or decided inclination we do not express the intensity of desire. Desire has a wide range, from the highest objects to the lowest; desire is for an object near at hand, or near in thought, and viewed as attainable; a wish may be for what is remote or uncertain, or even for what is recognized as impossible. Craving is stronger than hankering; hankering may be the result of a fitful and capricious appetite; craving may be the imperious and reasonable demand of the whole nature. Longing is a reaching out with deep and persistent demand for that which is viewed as now distant but at some time attainable; as, the captive's longing for release. Coveting ordinarily denotes wrong desire for that which is another's. Compare APPETITE.
Antonyms:
See synonyms for ANTIPATHY.
Prepositions:
The desire of fame; a desire for excellence.