without any desire

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "without any desire" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express a lack of longing or wish for something in various contexts, such as emotional or motivational discussions. Example: "She approached the task without any desire for recognition, simply wanting to help her team succeed."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

They lived in it without any desire to control it or change it.

The New Yorker

Michael Greif, the director, said he signed up immediately for the revival without any desire to subvert or reinterpret the work beyond a fresh look at the sets, costumes, choreography and other physical elements.

The New York Times

In its most obvious form, the Juche idea is a claim of radical autonomy: absolute political and economic independence for the Korean nation without any desire or need for traffic of any kind with other peoples.

The New Yorker

The reader leaves this account of "the ordinary lives of these extraordinary people" with respect and admiration, but without any desire to exchange the vicissitudes of contemporary family life for the pains and perils of the past.

The New York Times - Books

"There was not much to be learned about Russia by visiting it in 1954 that could not have been learned outside," he maintains, adding that he came home "politically unchanged if depressed, and without any desire to go there again".

The New Yorker

In contrast, researchers told another group that while Lucy was unable to afford shopping at the store, she simply wanted to use her shopping bag to express her affection for the Prada/Marc Jacobs brand without any desire to come across as something that she wasn't.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

I had always been interested in stationery and had often bought pens and notebooks without any real desire to use them, but rather because I liked them as objects in and of themselves.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

You have maintained here that you were concerned only with peaceful construction, and that, as far as the appointment to the post of Minister for armaments was concerned, you accepted it without any particular desire, and you even had your qualms about it.

Yale University

You stated here several times, in replying to the questions of your defense counsel, that you accepted the post of Minister for armaments without any special desire, and that you had your qualms about it; and you did not particularly care to accept it.

Yale University

("It's surprising how many people skip church nowadays," thinks Steve in the title story, as he himself skips church). Yet these are not Faulkner's history-haunted revenants, and if they live in a temporary world of Big Macs and "Battlestar Galactica," they do so without any real desire for a different one.

The New York Times - Books

Indeed, the video illustrates just how mental deficiency is the root cause for this group, often without any conscious desire to hurt people.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "without any desire" to clearly and directly express a lack of motivation or longing for something. It's useful in contexts where you want to emphasize the absence of a particular wish or goal.

Common error

Avoid phrasing sentences where "desire" is directly acted upon. "Without any desire" typically modifies a verb or clause describing an action or state, rather than being the object of another verb. For example, prefer "He acted without any desire for fame" over "He abandoned all desire".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "without any desire" functions primarily as an adverbial phrase, modifying verbs or clauses to indicate the absence of motivation or longing. As Ludwig AI confirms, it effectively conveys a lack of wish or interest.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Academia

25%

Science

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "without any desire" is a grammatically sound and versatile way to express a lack of motivation or longing. Ludwig AI analysis affirms its correctness and usability across various contexts. While not exceptionally common, it appears frequently in news articles and academic texts. Consider using alternatives like "lacking any desire" or "with no desire" for stylistic variation. Avoid misusing "desire" as a direct object. Remember that clear, direct communication is key.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

lacking any desire

Replaces "without" with "lacking", emphasizing the absence of desire.

having no desire

Uses a more direct construction to indicate the absence of desire.

with no desire

A shorter, more concise way to express the same idea.

without a hint of desire

Adds emphasis to the absence of desire by using "hint".

absent any desire

Uses "absent" to highlight the lack of desire.

devoid of desire

Emphasizes a complete lack of desire using "devoid".

feeling no desire

Focuses on the subjective experience of not having desire.

showing no desire

Highlights the outward manifestation of not having desire.

with no inclination

Substitutes "desire" with "inclination", suggesting a lack of motivation.

without the slightest desire

Emphasizes the complete absence of even a small amount of desire.

FAQs

How can I use "without any desire" in a sentence?

You can use "without any desire" to describe an action or state performed without a specific wish or motivation. For example, "She completed the task "without any desire for recognition"" or "He left "without any desire to return"".

What's the difference between "without any desire" and "without any intention"?

"Without any desire" implies a lack of wanting or longing, while "without any intention" suggests a lack of planning or purpose. The former focuses on emotion, and the latter on deliberate action.

Are there more formal alternatives to "without any desire"?

Yes, in more formal contexts, you might use phrases such as "lacking any desire" or "devoid of desire" to convey a similar meaning with a slightly elevated tone.

What can I say instead of "without any desire" to emphasize a strong aversion?

To emphasize a strong aversion, you could use phrases like "with no inclination", "without the slightest desire", or even "with extreme reluctance", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.