deep seated desire

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "deep seated desire" is not correct; it should be "deep-seated desire." You can use it to describe a strong, ingrained wish or longing that someone has held for a long time.
Example: "Her deep-seated desire to travel the world finally led her to book a one-way ticket to Europe."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Harvard Business Review

SEP

The New York Times

The Guardian

International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology

Earth, Planets and Space

BBC

Huffington Post

British Journal of Cancer

BMC Health Services Research

Cancer Imaging

BMC Infectious Diseases

British Medical Journal

BMC Public Health

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Stanford University

Encyclopedia Britannica

Independent

The New Yorker

The Washington Post

Forbes

Los Angeles Times

Vice

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Sinek cracks the code of influence: Deep-seated desire is what inspires followers and builds movements.

Harvard Business Review

Still, she was moved to enter law school not by her bare belief, but by a more deep seated, perhaps not fully conscious desire, such as the desire to please her parents or to have the prestige or pay that comes with being a lawyer.

SEP

The neuroses too deep seated.

The New York Times

This pain has been so deep seated".

The Guardian

The nodular lesions are deep seated in subcutaneous tissue and clinically may mimic a neoplasm.

International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology

There are some deep seated reasons for Labour's failure.

The Guardian

The deep seismic section (c) with Moho and deep seated fault features (after Tewari and Prakash Kumar, 2003).

Earth, Planets and Space

The hearing found he had "deep seated attitudinal issues".

BBC

Women warriors tap into something deep seated in our psyches.

Huffington Post

There were 80 lymphoid site biopsies (peripheral, 37; deep seated, 43) and 32 non-lymphoid site biopsies (peripheral, 6; deep seated, 26; Table 1).

British Journal of Cancer

Sixtythree percent of tumors were of soft tissue, mostly in the trunk, and 81% deep seated.

BMC Health Services Research

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the hyphenated form, "deep-seated desire", to ensure grammatical correctness and clarity. This signals that "deep" and "seated" function as a single adjective modifying "desire".

Common error

Avoid writing "deep seated desire". This is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "deep-seated desire". Using the unhyphenated form can make your writing appear less polished and professional.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "deep-seated desire" functions as a noun phrase where "deep-seated" is a compound adjective modifying the noun "desire". It describes a particular quality or characteristic of the desire, namely its deeply ingrained or fundamental nature. Ludwig AI suggests that the unhyphenated form is incorrect.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "deep seated desire" is often used to describe a strong and profound longing. However, as Ludwig AI points out, it's crucial to use the grammatically correct form: "deep-seated desire", with a hyphen. This compound adjective effectively conveys that the desire is not superficial but deeply ingrained. While highly prevalent across various contexts, from news to scientific literature, remember that the hyphen is key to ensuring grammatical correctness and clarity. Alternatives like "profound yearning" or "intense longing" can also be considered depending on the specific nuance you aim to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

deep-rooted yearning

Combines the idea of something deeply ingrained with longing.

profound yearning

Replaces "deep seated desire" with words that emphasize a sense of longing.

intense longing

Uses "intense" to highlight the strength of the desire, rather than its deep-rooted nature.

powerful aspiration

Shifts focus to the ambition associated with the desire.

consuming passion

Implies a desire that dominates one's thoughts and actions.

strong inclination

Replaces the intensity of "desire" with a gentler leaning.

burning ambition

Indicates a fervent and consuming desire for achievement.

fundamental craving

Focuses on the basic, essential nature of the desire.

overwhelming urge

Emphasizes the uncontrollable nature of the desire.

driving force

Highlights the motivational aspect of a deep desire.

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to say "deep seated desire"?

No, it is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "deep-seated desire", where "deep" and "seated" are hyphenated to form a compound adjective modifying "desire". The hyphen indicates that the two words function as a single adjective.

What does "deep-seated desire" mean?

A "deep-seated desire" refers to a strong, ingrained wish or longing that someone has held for a long time. It implies that the desire is not superficial but rather deeply rooted in the person's emotions or beliefs.

What can I say instead of "deep-seated desire"?

You can use alternatives like "profound yearning", "intense longing", or "powerful aspiration" depending on the context.

How to use "deep-seated desire" in a sentence?

Example: "Her deep-seated desire to travel the world finally led her to book a one-way ticket to Europe." It should be used when you want to emphasize that the desire is strong and has been present for a long time.