: a tender or urgent longing
a yearning for justice
Synonyms
Examples of yearning in a Sentence
had a sudden yearning for something sweet
Recent Examples on the Web
These scraps are Winston’s yearnings, memories, sensual instincts, which have, as yet, somehow gone unmurdered by the regime.
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Stephen Metcalf, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024
Her Palm Royale character, Maxine, has elements of Wiig’s previous creations — an outsider yearning for acceptance, like Annie in Bridesmaids bursting into first class, or Penelope, the SNL character who constantly one-ups other people with absurd claims.
—Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for yearning 
Stephen Metcalf, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024
Her Palm Royale character, Maxine, has elements of Wiig’s previous creations — an outsider yearning for acceptance, like Annie in Bridesmaids bursting into first class, or Penelope, the SNL character who constantly one-ups other people with absurd claims.
—Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for yearning
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'yearning.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Yearning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yearning. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
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