long 1 of 5

Definition of longnext

long

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adverb

long

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noun

long

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verb (1)

long (for)

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verb (2)

Synonym Chooser

How is the word long distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of long are hanker, hunger, pine, thirst, and yearn. While all these words mean "to have a strong desire for something," long implies a wishing with one's whole heart and often a striving to attain.

longed for some rest

When would hanker be a good substitute for long?

Although the words hanker and long have much in common, hanker suggests the uneasy promptings of unsatisfied appetite or desire.

always hankering for money

How are the words hunger and thirst related as synonyms of long?

Both hunger and thirst imply an insistent or impatient craving or a compelling need.

hungered for a business of his own
thirsted for power

When can pine be used instead of long?

The meanings of pine and long largely overlap; however, pine implies a languishing or a fruitless longing for what is impossible.

pined for a lost love

When is it sensible to use yearn instead of long?

The words yearn and long are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, yearn suggests an eager, restless, or painful longing.

yearned for a stage career

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of long
Adjective
The Highlanders trailed by five points midway through the game before both teams battled for side-outs in a long deuce set. Justin Vigil Zuniga, Daily News, 10 May 2026 Ashcraft’s heater was a good pitch given Eldridge’s long arms, but the 6-foot-7 first baseman turned on the pitch and sent a towering 364-foot drive over the right-field fence. Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 10 May 2026
Adverb
The owner of a long-standing and once heralded senior housing project is seeking to have the age restriction removed, telling town zoning officials such a move is in keeping with shifts in the Connecticut housing market. Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 4 May 2026 How long does vote-counting usually take? Robert Yoon, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
Noun
We were deprived of what every human longs for—a chance to love honestly with mind, body and soul. Donna Lamb, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026 Participants will be allowed to hand-pick 32 colors from the 40-foot-long Pick Your Pack wall at the attraction. Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
Police did not say who long the two children had been missing for or how long but took the opportunity to credit the search team who were able to find the kids deep within the thick forest. Jon Haworth, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2025 The mission behind Alebrije, according to Victoria, is to offer a corner of Mexico in Nashville, where good, affordable food evokes nostalgia and warmth, especially for older generations who long for the flavors of their childhood and the comfort of their grandmother’s kitchen. Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for long
Recent Examples of Synonyms for long
Adjective
  • Different strategies in Stage 1 NASCAR alternating the stage lengths in an attempt to curb fuel-saving in the final two stages meant an elongated Stage 1, where teams would be forced to conserve fuel.
    Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The elongated silhouette, flowy bottom, and comfy fabrics make these dresses a popular choice for travel, vacations, beach days, and even some fancier occasions, depending on the material, fit, and overall design.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • How to Become an Alo Member Becoming an Alo member doesn’t take a lengthy approval process or a down payment.
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 4 May 2026
  • And the recurring lengthy offensive droughts would have been less common.
    Josh Robbins, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Adverb
  • Although basil can grow perennially in warm areas, most gardeners cultivate the herb as an annual and start new plants from seed every spring.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Yet, Knueppel should win because his play immediately helped Charlotte leap from perennially moribund to one of the season’s revelations.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 15 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Miami trailed 1-0 fast, in the sixth minute, when the defense left Guilherme Biro unmarked for a downward header off a corner kick, gifting Biro the forever-history of the first goal in the new stadium.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Those tush-pushes can’t beat you if The Winter Soldier’s facing third-and-forevers.
    Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The foul trouble — and the flexibility of using smaller defenders — led to 76ers head coach Nick Nurse calling on Adem Bona and Dominick Barlow for extended minutes throughout Game 2.
    Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 7 May 2026
  • Now, there’s no mention of Eugenie’s extended family, just a subtle but clear message about their connection to the King and no one else.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 6 May 2026
Adjective
  • The Sixers had momentum — a chance to steal (yes, steal) a game against a far (yes, far) superior Knicks team and salvage what was left of their playoff hopes after ceding the first two games of the second-round series at Madison Square Garden.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
  • And this also explains some of the fear that Reform, which is hovering around the twenties in national polls, could potentially lead the next government, whereas the German far-right party, the AfD, is also polling in the twenties but has no chance to form the next government.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
Adverb
  • For instance, despite lasting only 20 seconds, the 1995 earthquake that struck Kobe, Japan destroyed 100,000 buildings, and the 2011 earthquake/tsunami that smashed Tōhoku, Japan killed more than 15,000 people and forced 130,000 to abandon their homes temporarily or permanently.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 May 2026
  • Primm Valley Casino Resorts, the last full-time casino among a cluster of three off Interstate 15 in Primm, at the California-Nevada border, is permanently closing July 4, a publicist for owner Affinity Gaming confirmed Wednesday.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Adjective
  • Trinidad and Tobago conducts significant oil and gas exploration activity both on land and in shallow waters, and is one of the Caribbean’s largest producers, according to official information from Trinidad’s Ministry of Energy.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
  • The smallest player on the floor is putting up the largest numbers.
    James L. Edwards III, New York Times, 11 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Long.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/long. Accessed 11 May. 2026.

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