as in desire
a strong wish for something
by four o'clock in the afternoon, I usually experience a strong longing for chocolate
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pining
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of longing
Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
There’s a gaping need for a Christianity whose posture toward the world is more irenic and charitable, far less anxious and fear-driven—one that cultivates curiosity, including toward those outside the faith, and fosters a deep longing for knowledge and understanding.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Merve Emre, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for longing
Noun
Melancholic and intimate, the performer (Haylee Nichele) silently guided me to become comfortable in my discomfort, to sit with the evening’s themes of longing, loss, confusion and impending grief.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
There’s a gaping need for a Christianity whose posture toward the world is more irenic and charitable, far less anxious and fear-driven—one that cultivates curiosity, including toward those outside the faith, and fosters a deep longing for knowledge and understanding.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Adjective
Werther, in his self-delusion, embodies another Goethean type, the longing man—ordinary, but convinced of the extraordinariness of his feelings.
—Merve Emre, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for longing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for longing
Noun
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Daphne Koller, Coursera co-founder, reflected on her early programming days with BASIC, driven by the intellectual beauty of mathematical models and a desire for real-world impact.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
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These thin sheets of lead containing scratches of supernatural desires were used to sway a court case, target a rival, or even a lover, as per Archaeology News.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
Adjective
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Starring Elordi and Barry Keoghan, Fennell’s dark comedy about class resentment and covetous destruction was sold on the promise of erotic excess.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
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For most players, that amount of storage is realistically enough for all but the most covetous data hoarders.—
Matt Kamen,
Wired News,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Misha’s Cupcakes After 20 years of satisfying sweet cravings, the iconic Coral Gables cupcake shop founded by Miami native Misha Kuryla closed its Dixie Highway location.—
Connie Ogle,
Miami Herald,
22 June 2026
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This finding specifically held true for people with fearful and preoccupied attachment styles, two subtypes of insecure attachment associated with a craving for intimacy but, respectively, a deep fear of it or a fear of rejection and abandonment.—
Rachel Nuwer,
Scientific American,
20 June 2026
Adjective
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But companies that were once cash cows are depleting reserves and leveraging debt in their ambitious data center buildouts.—
Kate Rooney,
CNBC,
20 June 2026
-
The instinctive Moon visits your 2nd House of Resources, quincunxing ambitious Saturn in your 9th House of Travel, so spending choices and big plans may contradict.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
20 June 2026
Noun
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Back in town, quench your thirst at the upstairs atrium of Three Bears Brewery & Restaurant, then take the Banff Gondola 7,000 feet up Sulphur Mountain, with views of six mountain ranges and the Bow Valley far below.—
Rebecca Deurlein,
Travel + Leisure,
17 June 2026
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Early physical symptoms of heat illness may be mistaken for fatigue, thirst or exhaustion, according to Joslin.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Local legends speak of restless spirits, mysterious voices, and supernatural activity, although many claims are impossible to verify.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
-
James Boyard, a Haitian police officer and security expert, was abducted Thursday morning in Raimbol in the Bourdon neighborhood as the family traveled through the capital to see a doctor after a restless night caring for their sick daughter.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
If sharing is so great at bringing people together why, when accosted with an unceasing soliloquy of self-disclosure, do so many feel the urge to flee?—
Jessica DuLong,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
-
Resist the urge to rush the straining steps.—
Georgina Hayden,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Dahlias are flowers people become obsessed with.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 June 2026
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On Friday night, an obsessed fan shot and killed pop singer Christina Grimmie in Orlando’s landmark Plaza theater.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Longing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/longing. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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