Desire
Desire noun - A strong wish for something.
Usage example: a desire for adventure and excitement prompted him to travel to Africa
Urge is a synonym for desire in craving topic. In some cases you can use "Urge" instead the word "Desire" as a noun or a verb, when it comes to topics like wish, hunger, want. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
How words are described
| burning | burning desire | burning urge |
| common | common desire | common urge |
| natural | natural desire | natural urge |
| genuine | genuine desire | genuine urge |
| Other adjectives: strong, real, constant, great, intense, irrational, sexual, innate, new, driving, instinctive, desperate, apparent, hidden, unconscious, overwhelming, greater, growing, inexplicable, uncontrollable, insatiable, obsessive, sudden, subconscious. | ||
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
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Refusal of the Call: Jae-Ha tried to avoid Kija and Shin-Ah, knowing they probably were with their master and that he would have the urge to join them, despite his desire for freedom.
Source: Manga / Yona of the Dawn -
Samurai Jack combines a burning urge to do good with a deep respect for traditions and a desire to help others.
Source: Lawful Good - If any of your parents can't help but desire that you were different, and can't resist the urge to force you in whatever direction they believe is better for you, you are probably screwed.
Source: Why Couldn't You Be Different?
Cite this Source
Urge and Desire. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/desire/urge
Desire & Urge. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/desire/urge>.
Urge or Desire. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/desire/urge.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "desire" and "urge" have occurred on timeline