yearning

1 of 2

noun

yearn·​ing ˈyər-niŋ 

: a tender or urgent longing

a yearning for justice

yearning

2 of 2

present participle of yearn

Synonyms of yearning

Noun

• longing
• craving
• desire
• urge
• thirst
• hunger

Examples of yearning in a Sentence

Noun

had a sudden yearning for something sweet

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Every window of every building the bus crawled past opened a severe yearning in me, as though my life here had become abstract or theoretical. — Hisham Matar, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026

And what’s dramatic about this is that having grown up on a remote mountain farm in the 1940s, away from almost any remnant of civilization, Mikey has zero context for his erotic yearnings. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

If your yearning for autumn kicks off early, here are three September festivals near Charlotte. — Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2026

This feels like a good place to put our energy and our artistry and our yearning to set the world in order. — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for yearning

• adjourning
• concerning
• discerning
• returning
• burning
• churning
• earning
• learning
• spurning
• turning
• overturning

Kids Definition

yearning

noun

yearn·​ing

: a tender or eager longing