: a tender or urgent longing
a yearning for justice
Examples of yearning in a Sentence
had a sudden yearning for something sweet
Recent Examples on the Web
The film’s eccentric flourishes may sound corny, but the writer-directors Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer ground the premise in a deeply sincere sense of yearning.
—
Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
Tom Bellamy explains the science behind desire and yearning.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
The actors’ interactions are charged, but the slow burn of Brontë’s characters’ hatred and yearning is muted.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026
Yerin Ha and Luke Thompson stare at one another with so much yearning and frustration and delight that even if the season were more of a mess, there’d still be plenty of reason to watch.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for yearning
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.
Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
Tom Bellamy explains the science behind desire and yearning.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
The actors’ interactions are charged, but the slow burn of Brontë’s characters’ hatred and yearning is muted.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026
Yerin Ha and Luke Thompson stare at one another with so much yearning and frustration and delight that even if the season were more of a mess, there’d still be plenty of reason to watch.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for yearning
Cite this Entry
“Yearning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yearning. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
