gratified desire

USAGE SUMMARY

"gratified desire" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe a desire that has been fulfilled or satisfied. Example: After years of hard work, she finally experienced her gratified desire to travel the world. Alternative expressions include "fulfilled desire" and "satisfied desire."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

A  green and fecund island, ­barely 20 miles off the east coast of Africa, Zanzibar for centuries represented gratified desire.

The New York Times - Books

Wherever he casts his eye, what he sees, in material form, are the lineaments of gratified desire.

The New York Times - Books

William Blake said that what men and women require of one another is "the lineaments of Gratified Desire".

The New York Times

What is remarkable about this first-person story is that all the crucial background is conveyed through dialogue, in the mutually lacerating flirtations of those doomed, by biology or personal history, to forgo what William Blake called "the lineaments of Gratified Desire".

The New York Times - Books

The art glows with what William Blake called "the lineaments of gratified desire".

The New Yorker

Parodying William Blake's poem about "the lineaments of gratified desire", Amis added: "What is it men do in women require?

The Guardian - Books

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Rather than gratifying desire in a feedback loop, they represent desires of which the viewer is yet unaware.

The New Yorker

Epicurus believed that pleasure was based on the amelioration of discomfort and centuries later Freud would controversially propose that the pleasure principle and the need to gratify desire were drives that even infants experienced.

Huffington Post

She did note, however, that the tendency to gratify desires more immediately was not necessarily a negative trait.

The New York Times

She did note, however, that while the resisters were better at exercising their willpower and systematically plotting out how to get more in the long run, the tendency to gratify desires more immediately was not necessarily a negative trait.

The New York Times

This hypothetical imperative applies to you only if you desire coffee and choose to gratify that desire.

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair this phrase with abstract nouns to describe psychological states or the culmination of a philosophical argument.

Common error

Avoid using 'gratuitous desire' when you mean "gratified desire". While 'gratuitous' implies something uncalled for or lacking a good reason, 'gratified' refers specifically to the state of being satisfied or fulfilled.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "gratified desire" functions as a noun phrase where 'gratified' acts as a past participle adjective modifying 'desire'. In many instances identified by Ludwig, it appears as part of the longer idiomatic expression "the lineaments of gratified desire".

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Academia

20%

Encyclopedias

15%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Science

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "gratified desire" is a sophisticated phrase with deep roots in English literature and philosophy. Ludwig AI confirms its status as a 'Correct' and highly evocative expression. While it appears in modern news and media, it is most frequently used to echo the sentiments of William Blake, representing the visible evidence of fulfilled longing. It is particularly useful for writers who wish to convey a sense of sated ambition or completed psychological processes with a touch of elegance. Whether used in a legal sense regarding 'sexual desire' or a poetic sense regarding 'human requirement', the phrase remains a powerful tool for describing the end of a pursuit.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fulfilled desire

Direct and more commonly used in modern prose.

satisfied longing

Emphasizes the emotional relief following a period of wanting.

consummated passion

Suggests a physical or intense realization of desire.

sated craving

Focuses on the physiological or urgent feeling of being 'full'.

attained wish

Highlights the achievement of a specific goal or hope.

realized ambition

Used when the desire is linked to career or status goals.

achieved goal

More functional and less poetic than the original phrase.

met expectation

Shifts the focus from internal desire to external standards.

appeased appetite

Often used metaphorically for greed or biological hunger.

quenched thirst

A specific metaphor for satisfying a deep-seated need.

FAQs

How to use "gratified desire" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe a completed state of wanting, such as: "The project's completion brought a sense of "fulfilled desire" to the team."

What does the phrase "gratified desire" mean?

It refers to a wish or craving that has been met or satisfied. It is often used in literary contexts to describe the physical or emotional manifestation of that satisfaction.

Is "gratified desire" a common expression?

It is considered uncommon in daily conversation but is frequent in literature, art criticism and philosophy, especially when referencing William Blake's poetry.

What can I say instead of "gratified desire"?

Depending on your context, you can use more direct alternatives like ""fulfilled desire"", "satisfied longing" or "attained wish".