Synonyms of hanker (for or after)

hanker (for or after)

verb

ˈhaŋ-kər 

as in to crave

to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy

hankering for some company in his lonely mountain cabin

hanker after a life of leisure

Synonyms & Similar Words

• crave
• want
• pine (for)
• lust (for or after)
• die (for)
• hunger (for)
• pant (after)
• sigh (for)
• thirst (for)
• long (for)
• wish (for)
• repine (for)
• yen (for)
• itch (for)
• yearn (for)
• salivate (for)
• jones (for)
• enjoy
• ache (for)
• desire
• covet
• set one's heart on
• like
• love
• spoil (for)
• desiderate
• groove (on)
• prefer
• delight (in)
• revel (in)
• admire
• relish
• fancy
• adore
• value
• appreciate
• dig
• favor
• treasure
• prize
• cherish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hate
• despise
• loathe
• detest
• abhor
• refuse
• reject
• decline
• spurn
• execrate
• abominate

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