longing

[ lawng-ing, long- ]

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

/ ˈlɒŋɪŋ /

noun

1. a prolonged unfulfilled desire or need

adjective

1. having or showing desire or need

   a longing look

Derived Forms

• ˈlongingly, adverb

Other Words From

• longing·ly adverb
• longing·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of longing¹

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

Synonym Study

See desire.

Example Sentences

With Hegseth, this is obvious in his longing to kick women out of combat roles.

From Salon

Scott Thomas added that she had been “longing for stability” rather than traveling the world, including sleeping in the same bed for more than two weeks at a time.

From Los Angeles Times

The passage of time, grief for those we have lost, longing for a better world that seems perpetually out of reach — all of these things can be frightening.

From Los Angeles Times

I read James Carville’s New York Times op-ed predicting a Harris victory this past week and felt a dim but distinct longing, somewhere inside, for a vanished world of reassuring wisdom.

From Salon

They're trying to alleviate the pangs of longing for those not currently with them.

From BBC