desirable

1 of 2

adjective

de·​sir·​able di-ˈzī-rə-bəl 

1

: having pleasing qualities or properties : attractive

"Mr. Darcy, you must allow me to present this young lady to you as a very desirable partner."

—Jane Austen

a house in a highly desirable location

2

: worth seeking or doing as advantageous, beneficial, or wise : advisable

desirable legislation

desirableness noun

desirably

di-ˈzī-rə-blē 

adverb

desirable

2 of 2

noun

: a person or thing that merits or attracts favorable attention and consideration : one that is desirable

Synonyms

Adjective

• bodacious
• dishy
• hot
• luscious
• sexy
• toothsome

Examples of desirable in a Sentence

Adjective

The house is in a highly desirable location.

The new stove has many desirable features.

the qualities that make a desirable business partner

The experiment did not achieve a desirable result.

a beautiful and desirable woman

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Blue Valley at Loch Lloyd homesites consist of two-acre plus secluded, wooded lots in the desirable and acclaimed Blue Valley School District. —Loch Lloyd Residential Real Estate, Llc, Kansas City Star, 12 May 2024

To improve her chances of finding a desirable suitor, Daphne enlists the help of family friend Simon Basset, a young duke who agrees to publicly court her in order to create jealousy among her peers and drum up the most attractive prospects. —Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 12 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see desire entry 1

Noun

see desire entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1645, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

desirable

adjective

de·​sir·​able

di-ˈzī-rə-bəl

1

: having pleasing qualities or properties : attractive

a desirable location

2

: worth having, seeking, or doing : advisable

desirable legislation

desirability

-ˌzī-rə-ˈbil-ət-ē

noun

desirableness

-ˈzī-rə-bəl-nəs

noun

desirably

-blē

adverb