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Synonyms

longing

American  
[lawng-ing, long-] / ˈlɔŋ ɪŋ, ˈlɒŋ- /

noun

  1. strong, persistent desire or craving, especially for something unattainable or distant.

    filled with longing for home.
    Synonyms:
    aspiration
    Antonyms:
    apathy

  2. an instance of this.

    a sudden longing to see old friends.

adjective

  1. having or characterized by persistent or earnest desire.

    a longing look.
    Synonyms:
    yearning, desirous
longing British  
/ ˈlɒŋɪŋ /

noun

  1. a prolonged unfulfilled desire or need

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. having or showing desire or need

    a longing look
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See desire.

Other Word Forms

  • longingly adverb
  • longingness noun

Etymology

Origin of longing

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English langung; equivalent to long 2 + -ing 1

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.