HANKERING Synonyms: 149 Similar and Opposite Words

hankering 1 of 2

noun

as in craving

a strong wish for something I've had a hankering for pizza with anchovies all afternoon

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hankering

2 of 2

adjective

as in longing

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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 hankering

Noun

For those with a hankering for fine dining, head a few blocks north to MAASS and splurge on an intimate meal at its 14-seat Chef’s Counter. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026 Prior to preproduction on Godzilla x Kong, Wingard, after a day of writing Face/Off 2 at Barrett’s place, had a hankering for some tacos. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026 Orange dream freeze at Your 3rd Spot A little sweet and a little sassy, the orange dream freeze satisfies a hankering for a cocktail and a dessert. — Angela Hansberger, AJC.com, 21 June 2026 Though the bolt had an apparent hankering for coconuts and avoided a direct hit through my scalp, the current traveled through the earth, zapped my feet, and sent me jumping into the air and, ultimately, to the emergency room. — Joey Skladany, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026 If your hankering is for Chinese, then pop into bustling Taipei Express for a cheap and cheerful Sa Cha Chicken lunch combo. — Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026 This piece combines a supporting character palette with a leading lady frame to make something perfect for those who have a hankering to whitewash but know better. — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 5 Feb. 2026 That’s the bit missing these days, and that’s why there’s a hankering for what some people call the West Ham Way. — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026 And for the kids who get a hankering to try the sport/lifestyle, consider a learn-to camp. — Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hankering

Noun

The books below will satisfy your bog witch cravings, while also reminding you of the real-world importance of bogs as bulwarks against climate change, cradles of biodiversity, and keepers of ancestral memory.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Another is Gimme Gummy, a craving for squishy, jelly-like textures in everything from candy to phone cases.

— Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of craving

Noun

When a genuine problem arises, said Ryan Jane Jacoby, a clinical psychologist and researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital, resist the urge to eliminate every unknown.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
But if the urge to work up a sweat arises, there’s a heated outdoor swimming pool and a full-size grass tennis court.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of urge

Adjective

Eventually, in 1914, Jo succeeded in publishing Vincent’s letters in an ambitious three-volume book, which today is considered one of the most revealing and important works of art history.

— Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
One of France’s most eminent men of letters, Jean d’Ormesson is on excellent form in this ambitious historical novel.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambitious

Noun

Trump has expressed his desire to acquire Greenland since 2019 and, during his second term, issued threats to seize the territory from Denmark, a NATO ally.

— Stefanie Dazio, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Gray Wielebinski’s new site-specific Production (2026) will transform the fair’s public toilets into an intimate olfactory environment, where scent, bodily function, privacy, desire, and surveillance will converge.

— Jade Wilson, ARTnews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of desire

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

Definition of covetous

Adjective

Yet Before Hollywood became obsessed with Curry Barker, Markiplier opened the year in a submarine full of blood.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 Oct. 2026
There are many ways to become obsessed with life’s frame rate, with the varying speed of an action and the way that time can be sliced or spun in the presentation.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2026