Main Difference
The main difference between Desire and Wish is that the Desire is a sense of longing and Wish is a desire
Desire
Desire is a sense of longing or hoping for a person, object, or outcome. The same sense is expressed by emotions such as “craving”. When a person desires something or someone, their sense of longing is excited by the enjoyment or the thought of the item or person, and they want to take actions to obtain their goal. The motivational aspect of desire has long been noted by philosophers; Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) asserted that human desire is the fundamental motivation of all human action.
While desires are often classified as emotions by laypersons, psychologists often describe desires as different from emotions; psychologists tend to argue that desires arise from bodily structures, such as the stomach’s need for food, whereas emotions arise from a person’s mental state. Marketing and advertising companies have used psychological research on how desire is stimulated to find more effective ways to induce consumers into buying a given product or service. While some advertising attempts to give buyers a sense of lack or wanting, other types of advertising create desire associating the product with desirable attributes, by showing either a celebrity or a model with the product.
The theme of desire is at the core of romance novels, which often create drama by showing cases where human desire is impeded by social conventions, class, or cultural barriers. The theme of desire is also used in other literary genres, such as Gothic novels (e.g., Dracula by Bram Stoker, in which desire is mingled with fear and dread). Poets ranging from Homer to Toni Morrison have dealt with the theme of desire in their work. Just as desire is central to the written fiction genre of romance, it is the central theme of melodrama films, which use plots that appeal to the heightened emotions of the audience by showing “crises of human emotion, failed romance or friendship”, in which desire is thwarted or unrequited.
Wish
A wish is a hope or desire for something. Fictionally, wishes can be used as plot devices. In folklore, opportunities for “making a wish” or for wishes to “come true” or “be granted” are themes that are sometimes used.
Desire (verb)
To want; to wish for earnestly.
“I desire to speak with you.”
Desire (verb)
To put a request to (someone); to entreat.
Desire (verb)
To want emotionally or sexually.
“She has desired him since they first met.”
Desire (verb)
To express a wish for; to entreat; to request.
Desire (verb)
To require; to demand; to claim.
Desire (verb)
To miss; to regret.
Desire (noun)
Someone or something wished for.
“It is my desire to speak with you.”
“You’re my heart’s desire.”
Desire (noun)
Strong attraction, particularly romantic or sexual.
“His desire for her kept him awake at night.”
Desire (noun)
The feeling of desiring; an eager longing for something.
“Too much desire can seriously affect one’s judgment.”
Desire (noun)
Motivation.
Wish (noun)
A desire, hope, or longing for something or for something to happen.
Wish (noun)
An expression of such a desire, often connected with ideas of magic and supernatural power.
Wish (noun)
The thing desired or longed for.
“My dearest wish is to see them happily married.”
Wish (noun)
A water meadow.
Wish (verb)
To desire; to want.
“I’ll come tomorrow, if you wish it.”
Wish (verb)
To hope (for a particular outcome).
Wish (verb)
To bestow (a thought or gesture) towards (someone or something).
“We wish you a Merry Christmas.”
Wish (verb)
To request or desire to do an activity.
Wish (verb)
To recommend; to seek confidence or favour on behalf of.
Wish (verb)
feel or express a strong desire or hope for something that cannot or probably will not happen
“he wished that he had practised the routines”
“we wished for peace”
Wish (verb)
express a hope that (someone) enjoys (happiness or success)
“they wish her every success”
Wish (verb)
want to do something
“they wish to become involved”
Wish (verb)
want (something) to be done or happen
“I wish it to be clearly understood”
Wish (verb)
want (someone) to do or have something
“Anne wishes me to visit her”
Wish (verb)
hope that (someone) has to deal with someone or something undesirable
“he wouldn’t wish Arthur on anyone”
Wish (noun)
a desire or hope for something to happen
“the union has reiterated its wish for an agreement”
“her wish to be a mother”
Wish (noun)
an expression of a desire, typically in the form of a request or instruction
“she must carry out her late father’s wishes”
Wish (noun)
an invocation or recitation of a hope or desire
“he makes a wish”
Wish (noun)
an expression of a hope for someone’s success, happiness, or welfare
“the Queen had sent her best wishes for a speedy recovery”
Wish (noun)
a thing that is or has been wished for
“the petitioners eventually got their wish”