Part 208

Syn. -- Wish; appetency; craving; inclination; eagerness; aspiration; longing.

De*sire"ful (?), a. Filled with desire; eager. [R.]

The desireful troops.

Godfrey (1594).

De*sire"ful*ness, n. The state of being desireful; eagerness to obtain and possess. [R.]

The desirefulness of our minds much augmenteth and increaseth our pleasure.

Udall.

De*sire"less, a. Free from desire. Donne.

De*sir"er (?), n. One who desires, asks, or wishes.

De*sir"ous (?), a. [F. désireux, OF. desiros, fr. desir. See Desire, n.] Feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain; covetous.

Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him.

John xvi. 19.

Be not desirous of his dainties.

Prov. xxiii. 3.

De*sir"ous*ly, adv. With desire; eagerly.

De*sir"ous*ness, n. The state of being desirous.

De*sist" (?; 277), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Desisted; p. pr. & vb. n. Desisting.] [L. desistere; de- + sistere to stand, stop, fr. stare to stand: cf. F. désister. See Stand.] To cease to proceed or act; to stop; to forbear; -- often with from.

Never desisting to do evil.

E. Hall.

To desist from his bad practice.

Massinger.

Desist (thou art discern'd, And toil'st in vain).

Milton.

De*sist"ance (?), n. [Cf. F. desistance.] The act or state of desisting; cessation. [R.] Boyle.

If fatigue of body or brain were in every case followed by desistance . . . then would the system be but seldom out of working order.

H. Spencer.

De*sist"ive (?), a. [See Desist.] Final; conclusive; ending. [R.]

De*si"tion (?), n. [See Desinent.] An end or ending. [R.]