# Poll: the opposite of desire? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 16, 2005, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-the-opposite-of-desire/331268 "2005-11-16T05:23:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-the-opposite-of-desire/331268/21 "2005-11-16T22:40:45Z")
I vote for disgust, revulsion or aversion. Apathy and indifference are the absence of desire, not the opposite. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-the-opposite-of-desire/331268/22 "2005-11-16T23:16:32Z")
I can’t say it’s disgust. Say I desire to go on a vacation. I’d think the opposite would be not giving a shit about going on vacation, not being disgusted by the thought. So sign me up for apathy/indifference. ---
**Author:** ![Godfrey\_Daniels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Godfrey\_Daniels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Godfrey_Daniels)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-the-opposite-of-desire/331268/23 "2005-11-16T23:24:57Z")
disdain ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-the-opposite-of-desire/331268/24 "2005-11-16T23:38:37Z")
It seems like the opposite of apathy is interest. I mean, I’m interested in astronomy and am not apathetic about astronomy, but I don’t _desire_ astronomy. If “apathy” were the antonym of “desire,” it could equally be said to be the opposite of “revulsion” as well. One word would be the antonym of two other antonyms. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-the-opposite-of-desire/331268/25 "2005-11-16T23:42:33Z")
The first thing that popped into my head was disgust. ---
**Author:** ![mojave66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mojave66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mojave66)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-the-opposite-of-desire/331268/26 "2005-11-17T00:16:58Z")
The opposite of apathy is interest. The opposite of desire is revulsion, as my past love life seems to have indicated. > [@](#): > > What I want to know is, what’s the opposite of “streetcar?” Side Walk? ---
**Author:** ![Shana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Shana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shana)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-the-opposite-of-desire/331268/27 "2005-11-17T01:55:18Z")
Ah **La Llorona** , I love Tennessee Williams. I’m going to have to reread that one myself… As for the question, I would say apathy. Definitely. At least that is how it is for me. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-the-opposite-of-desire/331268/28 "2005-11-17T03:19:43Z")
Chalk up another vote for disgust. Desire- I physically want, Disgust- I physically want it taken away. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-the-opposite-of-desire/331268/29 "2005-11-22T20:30:56Z")
Would you consider “revulsion” and “disgust” to be synonyms? I think they are, although perhaps revulsion is a bit stronger a response. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-the-opposite-of-desire/331268/30 "2005-11-22T23:04:56Z")
Let me add a new word(s) to the list… **abhor** (verb), counter to the verb “desire”, and/or **abhorrence** (noun), counter to the noun “desire”. ---
**Author:** ![ms.deanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@ms.deanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ms.deanna)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-the-opposite-of-desire/331268/31 "2005-11-24T02:36:23Z")
I agree with Corii . Disgust. ---
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-the-opposite-of-desire/331268/32 "2005-11-24T02:46:16Z")
Another vote for revulsion. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-the-opposite-of-desire/331268/33 "2005-11-24T02:50:59Z")
> [@betenoir](#): > > [Despair](http://artshole.co.uk/arts/artist/javi%20ni%F1o/DESPAIR-of-Neil-Gaiman.jpeg) Hey, I was going to come in and say that! 😛 Okay, okay, I vote for loathing. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-the-opposite-of-desire/331268/34 "2005-11-24T04:29:00Z")
Apathy. If I don’t desire it, then I couldn’t care less about it. Desire means you want it. Disgust or revulsion means you **WANT** it removed. So you’re still wanting. At least, that is how it seems to me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-the-opposite-of-desire/331268.md?page=1)