yearning
[ yur-ning ]
/ ˈyɜr nɪŋ /
noun
deep longing, especially when accompanied by tenderness or sadness: a widower's yearning for his wife.
an instance of such longing.
synonym study for yearning
1. See
desire.
OTHER WORDS FROM yearning
yearn·ing·ly, adverb un·yearn·ing, adjectiveWords nearby yearning
yearling,
yearlong,
yearly,
yearly meeting,
yearn,
yearning,
yeasayer,
yeast,
yeast cake,
yeast nucleic acid,
yeasty
Definition for yearning (2 of 2)
yearn
[ yurn ]
/ yɜrn /
verb (used without object)
to have an earnest or strong desire; long: to yearn for a quiet vacation.
to feel tenderness; be moved or attracted: They yearned over their delicate child.
Origin of yearn
before 900; Middle English
yernen, Old English
giernan derivative of
georn eager; akin to Old Norse
girna to desire, Greek
chaírein to rejoice, Sanskrit
háryati (he) desires
SYNONYMS FOR yearn
1
Yearn,
long,
hanker,
pine all mean to feel a powerful desire for something.
Yearn stresses the depth and passionateness of a desire:
to yearn to get away and begin a new life; to yearn desperately for recognition.
Long implies a wholehearted desire for something that is or seems unattainable:
to long to relive one's childhood; to long for the warmth of summer.
Hanker suggests a restless or incessant craving to fulfill some urge or desire:
to hanker for a promotion; to hanker after fame and fortune.
Pine adds the notion of physical or emotional suffering as a result of the real or apparent hopelessness of one's desire:
to pine for one's native land; to pine for a lost love.
OTHER WORDS FROM yearn
yearn·er, noun un·yearned, adjectiveExample sentences from the Web for yearning
British Dictionary definitions for yearning (1 of 2)
yearning
/ (ˈjɜːnɪŋ) /
noun
an intense or overpowering longing, desire, or need; craving
Derived forms of yearning
yearningly, adverbBritish Dictionary definitions for yearning (2 of 2)
yearn
/ (jɜːn) /
verb (intr)
(usually foll by for or after or an infinitive)
to have an intense desire or longing (for); pine (for)
to feel tenderness or affection
Derived forms of yearn
yearner, nounWord Origin for yearn
Old English
giernan; related to Old Saxon
girnian, Old Norse
girna, Gothic
gairnjan, Old High German
gerōn to long for, Sanskrit
haryati he likes