desire

Compared meaning: to want something (verb).

比较义项：想要，希望得到某事物（动词）。

• want

  The everyday, neutral word for wishing for something; extremely common in casual speech and requests, followed by a noun or an infinitive.

  want是口语中最常用、语气中性的“想要”，常用在日常请求和需求中，后面可接名词或动词不定式。

  I just want a few quiet minutes to finish this report.

  我只是想要几分钟的安静时间来完成这份报告。

• desire 本词

  A stronger, more formal or literary word for wanting something very much; suggests deep longing and sounds odd for small everyday requests.

  desire语气更强烈，属于较正式或文学性的表达，指强烈的渴望，用在日常琐事的请求上会显得不自然。

  He desires nothing more than to see his children succeed.

  他最大的渴望就是看到自己的孩子们成功。

Want and desire both mean to want something. Want is the neutral, everyday word, common in casual speech and requests. Desire is stronger, more formal, showing deep longing, and sounds strange for small requests. Desire as a noun meaning 'a wish' is not compared here.

这两个词在“想要”这一义项上意思相近，但语气强弱和正式程度不同：want语气中性，日常口语中很常用；desire语气更强烈，更正式，多用于书面或情感表达，日常琐事中很少使用。desire作名词表示“愿望，欲望”的用法这里不比较。