yearning

noun

yearn·​ing ˈyər-niŋ How to pronounce yearning (audio)
: 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
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.
As long as the show has been around, Taylor has been as defining a feature as yearning and youthful indiscretions have. Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 12 June 2025 Narnia taught me about the yearning that a book can conjure, for food and places and a specific texture of feeling. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 11 June 2025 Childhood yearnings White was born in Cincinnati in 1940, but age at 7 moved with his mother to the Chicago area after his parents divorced. Hillel Italie, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025 Over decades, no club has done yearning and fear and angst better than Newcastle — but this lot reject it, if not quite nervelessly, then steadfastly enough to pick their way through any agitation. George Caulkin, New York Times, 12 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for yearning

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of yearning was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Yearning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yearning. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

yearning

noun
yearn·​ing
: a tender or eager longing

More from Merriam-Webster on yearning

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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