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欲望 (よくぼう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

欲よく望ぼう

よ

く

ぼ

う

Common word›JLPTN1›Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

desire; appetite; lust

Broad term for strong wants, from basic appetites to ambition or sexual desire. Can be neutral or negative depending on context.

人にん間げんの欲

よく

望ぼう

に

は

限かぎ

り

が

ない

。

Human desire knows no bounds.

彼かれは権けん力りょくへの欲よく望ぼうに取とり憑つかれていた。

He was possessed by a lust for power.

Usage patterns

欲よく望ぼうを抑おさえるto suppress one's desire
彼かれは食たべたい欲よく望ぼうを抑おさえてダイエットを続つづけた。
He suppressed his desire to eat and kept dieting.
欲よく望ぼうに負まけるto give in to one's desire
つい欲よく望ぼうに負まけてケーキを食たべてしまった。
I ended up giving in to my desire and ate the cake.
欲よく望ぼうを満みたすto satisfy one's desire
彼かれは権けん力りょくへの欲よく望ぼうを満みたすために手しゅ段だんを選えらばなかった。
〈人ひと〉の欲よく望ぼうが強つよいsomeone's desire is strong
彼かの女じょは成せい功こうへの欲よく望ぼうが強つよい。
She has a strong desire for success.

Kanji

欲longing, covetousness, greed
望ambition, full moon, hope
慾covetousness, greed, passion

Related words· 8

欲よっ求きゅうN1
欲求 refers to a psychological or physiological need or drive, while 欲望 is a broader term that can also imply excessive or moral-tinged craving.
願がん望ぼうN1
願望 is a wish or aspiration that tends to be positive and mild, whereas 欲望 often carries a stronger, sometimes negative, connotation of greed or lust.
欲よくN1
欲 is a shorter, more colloquial way to say 'desire' or 'greed', while 欲望 is the more formal, full noun form used in writing.
衝しょう動どうN1
欲望 is a broader, more sustained desire or appetite, while 衝動 is a sudden, momentary impulse to act.

Show 4 more

欲よく情じょう
欲望 is a broad term for desire or craving of any kind, while 欲情 specifically denotes sexual desire or lust.
渇かつ望ぼう
欲望 is a general desire or appetite, often material or sensual, while 渇望 emphasizes a deep, urgent, almost physical longing.
煩ぼん悩のう
欲望 is a neutral, general word for 'desire' or 'craving', whereas 煩悩 specifically denotes desires that disturb the mind and are viewed in Buddhism as sources of suffering.
性

Don't confuse with

欲よく情じょう
欲情 specifically means sexual desire, while 欲望 is the general term covering any strong craving, not just sexual ones.
意い欲よくN2
欲望 means desire or craving for something (often material or selfish), while 意欲 means motivation or drive to accomplish a goal, despite both sharing the kanji 欲.

Word family

性せい的てき欲よく望ぼう
sexual desire; lust

Written forms

欲よく望ぼうUsage99%
Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
慾よく望ぼうUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Etymology

Compound of 欲 (desire, want) and 望 (hope, ambition). The spelling 慾 is a variant of 欲 with the same meaning but is now rare.

He used any means necessary to satisfy his desire for power.

せい

欲よく

欲望 is a broader word for desire or craving of any kind, whereas 性欲 refers specifically to sexual desire.