"Desire satisfied" means that a want, craving, or longing has been fulfilled or gratified. It describes the state of contentment or satiation that follows the achievement of something desired.
The meaning is largely compositional; the meaning of "desire" and "satisfied" combine to create the overall meaning. However, the strength and common usage of the collocation make it slightly more than just the sum of its parts.
The register is neutral. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts, though it appears more frequently in written than spoken language.
The grammatical pattern is adjective + noun, where "satisfied" is an adjective modifying the noun "desire."
Typically, the phrase appears as part of a larger sentence describing a situation or feeling. It doesn't usually take direct objects or prepositions directly following it, but it can be followed by clauses explaining the consequences or implications of the desire being satisfied.
Since this is an adjective-noun collocation, the components cannot be separated.
Using a synonym of "satisfied" that doesn't collocate well with "desire" would sound unnatural. For example, "desire fulfilled" is acceptable, but "desire pleased" or "desire contented" sound awkward. Also, attempting to use "satisfied" as a verb in this context (e.g., "desire was satisfied") changes the grammatical structure and meaning.
These examples are sourced from desire satisfied on Ludwig.guru.
"When her first collection, "Interior with Sudden Joy," was published in 1999, the magazine called it a "heady, infectious celebration of erotic life" whose "immense subject is the nature of desire: satisfied, thwarted, engorged, playful, and possessive"." — The New Yorker
"The weight and significance of what we do changes constantly to reflect all those shifting variables that make up domestic life, like time, cost, effort expended, desire satisfied, need answered, one's own sense of urgency and one's partner's sense of utter indifference, to name only a few." — The New York Times
"There is nothing so brutal and uncaring as desire satisfied." — Vice
"But he found that though it was pleasant to have all his epicurian desires satisfied, he was bored." — The New Yorker
"The more the desire is satisfied, the stronger the habit becomes; the stronger the habit is, the more difficult it is to fight." — Huffington Post
Examples sourced from https://ludwig.guru/s/desire+satisfied
Depending on the level of formality or the specific situation, you might want to vary your language.
| Phrase | Context |
|---|---|
| longing fulfilled | Similar meaning, perhaps with a stronger emotional connotation. |
| craving quenched | Suggests satisfying a strong, urgent need. |
| yearning gratified | More formal and literary. |
| wish granted | Implies a more specific, conscious desire. |
| need met | Focuses on a basic requirement rather than a want. |
| ambition realized | Relates to achieving a long-term goal. |
| appetite sated | Specifically refers to satisfying hunger or other physical appetites. |
A common mistake is using a synonym of "satisfied" that doesn't naturally collocate with "desire," such as "desire pleased" or "desire contented." Another error is attempting to use "satisfied" as a verb in the active voice when it requires a passive construction: saying "the desire satisfied" instead of "the desire was satisfied" (in a different grammatical construction). Finally, using a completely different verb phrase, like "desire was achieved" alters the nuance and may not precisely capture the intended meaning.
| Expression | Meaning | Grammatical Pattern | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| desire satisfied | A want or craving that has been fulfilled. | Adjective + Noun | Neutral |
No, the words in the collocation "desire satisfied" cannot be separated without changing the meaning or creating an ungrammatical sentence. It functions as a single unit describing a specific state.
Both "desire satisfied" and "desire fulfilled" are similar in meaning, but "desire fulfilled" might carry a slightly stronger connotation of completion or achievement. "Satisfied" suggests a sense of contentment, while "fulfilled" implies that the desire has been completely realized.
While "pleased" is a synonym of "satisfied," it doesn't collocate well with "desire." The phrase "desire satisfied" is a conventional and established collocation, whereas "desire pleased" sounds unnatural and grammatically awkward, even though the meaning might be understandable.
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