Desire: "Wish or want to do something" I desire to be an Engineer. (I wish to be an Engineer in future.) Desperate: "Wish or want to do something but at any cost" I am desperate to go for a break. (I have been working too hard these days and I need to take a break at any cost)

Desire: A feeling of really wishing or wanting something to happen. For example, "I desire peace on earth." "I desire to eventually find a good job." Desperate: If all attempts at achieving something have failed, you become desperate. It's a feeling of having little hope of success. For example, "I was lost in the forest and kept going around in circles. The sun was almost set, and I became desperate to find my way back."