hanker

verb

han·​ker ˈhaŋ-kər 

hankered; hankering ˈhaŋ-k(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

: to have a strong or persistent desire : yearn

—often used with for or after

hankerer

ˈhaŋ-kər-ər 

noun

Synonyms

• crave
• want
• pine (for)
• lust (for or after)
• die (for)
• hunger (for)
• pant (after)
• sigh (for)
• thirst (for)
• long (for)
• wish (for)
• repine (for)
• yen (for)
• itch (for)
• yearn (for)
• salivate (for)

Choose the Right Synonym for hanker

long, yearn, hanker, pine, hunger, thirst mean to have a strong desire for something.

long implies a wishing with one's whole heart and often a striving to attain.

longed for some rest

yearn suggests an eager, restless, or painful longing.

yearned for a stage career

hanker suggests the uneasy promptings of unsatisfied appetite or desire.

always hankering for money

pine implies a languishing or a fruitless longing for what is impossible.

pined for a lost love

hunger and thirst imply an insistent or impatient craving or a compelling need.

hungered for a business of his own

thirsted for power

Examples of hanker in a Sentence

By the middle of the winter, they were hankering for a warm day.

Recent Examples on the Web

Anyone hankering to try these sandwiches, better act quickly, though. —Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2025

When hankering for some nuts, grab a handful of shells and crack them open. —Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025

This annoys his wife, who hankers after Bingley (sight unseen) as a future son-in-law. —Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025

The world’s most populous country has hankered after a Games for decades. —Blythe Lawrence, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably from Dutch dialect hankeren

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hanker

• anchor
• anker
• banker
• canker
• rancor
• shanker
• tanker

Kids Definition

hanker

verb

han·​ker ˈhaŋ-kər 

hankered; hankering -k(ə-)riŋ 

: to have an eager or continual desire

hanker after fame

hankerer

-kər-ər 

noun