as in longing
a strong wish for something
a sudden pining to have steak for dinner
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in covetous
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pining
Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
Zohran Mamdani has just moved in, and considering the thoughtful aesthetic details of his campaign—which his stylish first lady, artist Rama Duwaji, had a hand in designing—we’re pining for a look at how the couple decorates their new digs.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pining
Noun
-
Tension, longing, that one sizzling moment when their fingers almost brush.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
-
At the close of the Passover seder, and at the end of Yom Kippur, Jews declare their longing to return.—
Rabbi Tuvia Brander,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Starring Elordi and Barry Keoghan, Fennell’s dark comedy about class resentment and covetous destruction was sold on the promise of erotic excess.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
-
For most players, that amount of storage is realistically enough for all but the most covetous data hoarders.—
Matt Kamen,
Wired News,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The market can accommodate pretty much any Italian food craving, offering everything from antipasto to Zeppole di San Giuseppe (a seasonal specialty dessert).—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Apr. 2026
-
As with any addiction, people who stop smoking might experience cravings and withdrawals.—
Bautista Vivanco,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Sports, after all, can be a vehicle for shaping our values and expressing our desires.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
As the war in Iran rages on, both rising oil prices and consumers’ decreasing desire to jet-set in uncertain times hang like a dark cloud over the industry, threatening to upend air travel across the world.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Ignoring urges and doing the maneuver at other times means more straining, which can be painful, time-consuming and consequential in terms of hemorrhoids and damage to the muscles involved in pooping.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
-
And each movement aroused an urge to move in the woman lying above, as if an avalanche of imperceptible but palpable vibrations had been triggered.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Desperate from thirst, Husayn rode out of the camp with his infant son to appeal for water, but an enemy archer shot an arrow through the child’s neck.—
Mary Thurlkill,
The Conversation,
30 Mar. 2026
-
As spring replaces winter’s chill, more people are reaching for a mix of spirits and mixers to quench their thirst.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pining. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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