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Which is a central theme of Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire?

desire

[dih-zahyuhr] / dɪˈzaɪər /




VERB
ask, request
Synonyms
Antonyms
STRONG
WEAK
not want


Usage

What are other ways to say desire? Desire, a formal verb, suggests a strong wish: They desire liberation. Wish implies the feeling of an impulse toward attainment or possession of something; the strength of the feeling may be of greater or lesser intensity: I wish I could go home. Want, usually colloquial in use, suggests a feeling of lack or need that imperatively demands fulfillment: People all over the world want peace.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

"I have accepted this proposal with great excitement, a desire to learn, and a willingness to contribute everything I can."

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

Wong has maintained his curiosity and desire to gain a deeper understanding of the world, said Louis Lee, a friend who visits Wong regularly in prison.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

Along with those who have dropped coverage, some people have picked plans with lower premiums, hoping to balance the monthly cost with their desire to continue coverage.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

The name reflects his philosophy of flip-flopping what isn’t working in your life into what you desire.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

She described how she awoke on a rocky shore, and how her only desire was to survive, and how difficult life was in that harsh place.

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown

Mr. Jones suggests that James sublimated doubts and forbidden desires into his stories and the routines of Cambridge and Eton.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

It’s a film for anyone who has put aside their desires and told themselves it’s too late or too scary to try something new.

From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026

Many of the young people attending daytimers gigs were moving between the expectations of family and community and the desires of a younger generation testing out music, fashion, friendship and independence on its own terms.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

“I had to quell those desires for homeownership as I continue to see the price of everything grow exponentially,” she said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

Emotionally, I was withdrawn from the objective world; my desires floated loosely within the walls of my consciousness, contained and controlled.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Once glucose levels return to the desired range, the implant automatically shuts down.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026

Its savings programme will cost $2.0 billion before delivering the desired yearly benefits.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

Being a “permabull” and always betting on stocks is slightly better, because stocks go up more than they go down — but it still leaves a lot to be desired.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

There are reasons to postpone some of the toughest decisions beyond this Budget, such as how to fund desired increases in spending on defence and social care.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

Normally, the type specimen of a species is the first set of bones found, but since no first set of Homo sapiens bones exists, there was a vacancy, which Cope desired to fill.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Huckabee reportedly told embassy staff in an email there was "no need to panic, but for those desiring to leave, it's important to make plans to depart sooner rather than later".

From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026

The motivations for septuagenarian entrepreneurs include desiring autonomy, pursuing meaningful projects and addressing societal needs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2025

Sure, I get it: If you’re reading this, then you and I could choose to congratulate ourselves for not actively desiring this outcome, and for doing whatever we did to prevent it.

From Salon ● Jan. 21, 2025

She had a predilection for painting women as modern, urban, desiring.

From New York Times ● Apr. 1, 2024

Elévée picked at the short sleeve of her school uniform, evidently not desiring to talk about fashion.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver


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