hanker (for or after)

Synonym Chooser

How is the word hanker distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of hanker are hunger, long, pine, thirst, and yearn. While all these words mean "to have a strong desire for something," 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 hanker?

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 long be used instead of hanker?

While the synonyms long and hanker are close in meaning, long implies a wishing with one's whole heart and often a striving to attain.

longed for some rest

When is it sensible to use pine instead of hanker?

Although the words pine and hanker have much in common, pine implies a languishing or a fruitless longing for what is impossible.

pined for a lost love

Where would yearn be a reasonable alternative to hanker?

The synonyms yearn and hanker are sometimes interchangeable, but yearn suggests an eager, restless, or painful longing.

yearned for a stage career

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hanker (for or after)
Verb
  • People might be craving horror as a way to make sense of this madness.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
  • And that’s a shame, because reassurance is what their audiences crave most when the world around them teeters.
    Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Those who want to add Protein Cold Foam to their favorite drink can choose from flavors including banana, vanilla, sugar-free vanilla, chocolate, matcha, salted caramel and brown sugar, plain with no sugar and limited-time seasonal flavors pumpkin and pecan.
    Mike Snider, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
  • The players are big on wanting to play on grass, while the owners are more interested in the turf.
    Mark Kern, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Sep. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Hanker (for or after).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hanker%20%28for%20or%20after%29. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

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