pine for
phrasal verb
pined for; pining for; pines for
: to feel very sad because one wants (something) or because one is not with (someone)
She was pining for the old days.
He's pining for his college sweetheart.
Examples of pine for in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
New York City Councilwoman and socialist Alexa Avilés is also reportedly pining for Goldman’s seat and will seek the endorsement of the city’s Democratic Socialists of America chapter.
—
Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 9 Dec. 2025
For her role as Sarah, a sweet woman who pines for her handsome colleague while taking care of her brother, Sellers went through a hair transformation.
—Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
Baby ponders love in all its rejuvenating and off-putting shapes, sweating with a husband and father’s devotion but sometimes with a son’s pining for a closer connection with an oaklike and unreadable elder.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
The Democratic strategists who have chewed over their party’s unpopularity in memo after memo since last November pine for an authentic tribune of the working class.
—Molly Ball, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pine for
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 9 Dec. 2025
For her role as Sarah, a sweet woman who pines for her handsome colleague while taking care of her brother, Sellers went through a hair transformation.
—Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
Baby ponders love in all its rejuvenating and off-putting shapes, sweating with a husband and father’s devotion but sometimes with a son’s pining for a closer connection with an oaklike and unreadable elder.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
The Democratic strategists who have chewed over their party’s unpopularity in memo after memo since last November pine for an authentic tribune of the working class.
—Molly Ball, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pine for
Cite this Entry
“Pine for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pine%20for. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share