hidden desires

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "hidden desires" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to refer to feelings or wants that are not openly expressed or acknowledged. For example, "She finally confronted her hidden desires and decided to pursue her passion for art." Alternative expressions include "unspoken wishes," "concealed longings," and "latent cravings."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

31 human-written examples

It is also true that a number of men with similarly suppressed or hidden desires, including James, were among his close circle of friends.

The Guardian - Arts

As Mr. Baldwin pointed out, Hitchcock was deeply serious about music in his films, recognizing its power to express characters' hidden desires and weaving it into a movie so skillfully that it became "ingrained in the visual fabric".

The New York Times - Arts

Stolen Love Behaviour by John Stammers 120pp, Picador, £8.99 John Stammers's impressive second collection, Stolen Love Behaviour, focuses, like its predecessor, on love poetry, but this time the mood is darker, more burdened; here, as the title implies, we enter the realm of subversive affairs, hidden desires.

The Guardian - Books

They decide to throw themselves a party while they await the apocalypse and as they do, hidden desires are unveiled, hidden truths are spoken, and a crazy old drunkard accuses the others of killing his pet cow Candy.

BBC

I believe that it may be more poetic than scientific, that behind a seemingly simple, petty crime, lurks a mysterious world of hidden desires and obscure longings.

The New York Times

When it came out here on DVD in 2007, I wrote in the magazine that "the drama is set in contemporary Paris and its plush suburbs, where the high walls and hidden courtyards play a central role: in Renoir's philosophical view, these barriers and recesses embody the hidden desires and bourgeois repression that drive Dr. Cordelier to conduct his ill-advised experiments".

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

27 human-written examples

"I don't care for gold," notes Smith again on Leave Your Lover, where Smith sets out his stall to the object of his hitherto hidden desire.

The Guardian - Music

But in fiction, a situation so open to complication provides the novelist with the perfect opportunity to run riot through themes of rivalry, jealousy, class tension and hidden desire; and Morrison does not shirk that opportunity.

The Guardian - Books

While this debate goes on, it is hard not to think that Bennett in writing it was also turning over this question in his own mind, and wondering why it took him until his 60s to say openly that he had a partner "Why," Auden subsequently wonders of Britten in 1972, about the hidden desire in his music, "are you still sending your messages in code?

The Guardian

In other words, in order to boost our self-esteem, we have a hidden desire to hold at least one power-driven relationship in our life.

TechCrunch

The Kapalua is no different and, unlike resorts located in the Third World, you don't get the feeling that behind the locals' forced smiles are years of economic repression and a hidden desire to run you through with a spear.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair this phrase with verbs like "unveil", "express", "repress" or "manifest" to highlight the dynamic nature of these internal states in your narrative.

Common error

Avoid using "hidden desires" when referring to purely logical or tactical secrets, such as a hidden agenda or covert strategy. The phrase specifically denotes emotional, romantic or primal wants rather than calculated intentions.

Linguistic Context

As observed in Ludwig, "hidden desires" functions as a noun phrase, typically acting as the direct object of a verb (e.g. "expressing" or "unveiling") or as part of a prepositional phrase. It is an attributive adjective phrase modifying the head noun "desires".

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Science

8%

Wiki

7%

Less common in

Academia

4%

Formal & Business

3%

Social Media

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "hidden desires" is a well-established collocation in the English language, frequently appearing in high-authority media outlets. Ludwig reveals that it is most commonly used in cultural analysis—such as film, book and art reviews—to describe the internal motivations of characters or artists. While it is grammatically simple (adjective + noun), its weight comes from its psychological connotations. It is highly interchangeable with phrases like "<a href="/s/concealed+longings" target="_blank" rel="alternative">concealed longings" or "<a href="/s/suppressed+urges" target="_blank" rel="alternative">suppressed urges" depending on the level of psychological intensity intended. Overall, it serves as a powerful tool for writers aiming to convey depth and complexity in human behavior through a neutral yet evocative register.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

concealed longings

Offers a more poetic and emotional tone than the standard query.

suppressed urges

Implies a more forceful or psychological act of keeping feelings down.

unspoken wishes

Suggests desires that are simply not voiced rather than intentionally hidden.

latent cravings

Focuses on physiological or primal wants that have not yet manifested.

veiled ambitions

More specific to goals and career success rather than general emotions.

underlying wants

A more plain and functional way to describe foundational needs.

innermost yearnings

Highly romanticized and emphasizes the deep personal nature of the desire.

repressed passions

Carries a heavy psychological connotation of subconscious denial.

obscure appetites

Suggests desires that are strange, rare or difficult to define.

internal drives

Shifts the focus from emotional wanting to biological or psychological motivation.

FAQs

How to use "hidden desires" in a sentence?

You can use it as a direct object to describe unexpressed feelings, for example: "The film masterfully explores the "hidden desires" of its protagonists through subtle visual cues."

What can I say instead of "hidden desires"?

You can use alternatives like "<a href="/s/concealed+longings" target="_blank" rel="alternative">concealed longings", "<a href="/s/suppressed+urges" target="_blank" rel="alternative">suppressed urges" or "<a href="/s/unspoken+wishes" target="_blank" rel="alternative">unspoken wishes" depending on the context.

Is "hidden desires" formal or informal?

The phrase is neutral to slightly formal. It appears frequently in high-quality journalism and literature, making it appropriate for both professional writing and creative storytelling.

What is the difference between "hidden desires" and "suppressed urges"?

While "<a href="/s/suppressed+urges" target="_blank" rel="alternative">suppressed urges" implies an active or forceful act of pushing down a feeling, "hidden desires" is more descriptive of the state of the feeling itself, which may be hidden by choice or by nature.