yearning

[ yur-ning ]

noun

1. deep longing, especially when accompanied by tenderness or sadness:

   a widower's yearning for his wife.

2. an instance of such longing.

ˈyearning

/ ˈjɜːnɪŋ /

noun

1. an intense or overpowering longing, desire, or need; craving

Derived Forms

• ˈyearningly, adverb

Other Words From

• yearning·ly adverb
• un·yearning adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of yearning¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English gierninge; equivalent to yearn + -ing ¹

Synonym Study

See desire.

Example Sentences

Some are ideological die-hards yearning for Christian nationalism, but others just wanted the thrill of identifying with a shock jock, sowing mayhem, and putting a Black woman in power back in her place.

From Slate

Zoe says before her transition, Emilia is an "unredeemable character" but audiences have a "yearning for her redemption".

From BBC

Poetic ruminations on imprisonment in a foreign land and yearning for a home that may no longer exist are supported by Wally Badarou and Dean Blunt’s entrancing synth score.

From Los Angeles Times

“My mom sang me lullabies in Spanish. So the body keeps score. There’s a recognition of home that I had started yearning for. I wasn’t actively pursuing a film like ‘Emilia Perez’ and a role like Rita, but I needed it.

From Los Angeles Times

Although she had vowed never to marry, fearing it would hurt her career, Garr found herself in her late 40s yearning for a family.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ambition
• appetite
• aspiration
• craving
• eagerness
• fascination
• hankering
• hunger
• longing
• passion
• thirst