longing 1 of 3

noun

ˈlȯŋ-iŋ How to pronounce longing (audio)
Definition of longingnext
as in desire
a strong wish for something by four o'clock in the afternoon, I usually experience a strong longing for chocolate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

longing

2 of 3

adjective

as in pining

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

longing

3 of 3

verb

present participle of long
as in yearning

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 longing
Noun
Despite the claims of any number of charlatans who prey on the American brand of cuddly benighted ignorance, the universe will not manifest an alternate reality for anyone who simply wishes for it with sufficient longing. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Withholding his feelings and observations from family and lovers while sharing them with the outside world, Chen traces variations of longing and desire. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Werther, in his self-delusion, embodies another Goethean type, the longing man—ordinary, but convinced of the extraordinariness of his feelings. — Merve Emre, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for longing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for longing
  1. desire
  2. covetous
  3. craving
  4. ambitious
  5. thirst
  6. restless
  7. urge
  8. obsessed
Noun
  • In order to be helpful, Muse constantly builds extensive dossiers of users and their desires, social relationships, and messaging behaviors, TIME’s Harry Booth reported this month.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • This offbeat tendency doesn’t preclude a desire to make a big splash, of course.
    — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 21 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
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
Adjective
  • Best known for his ambitious documentary features, Kapadia described the process of adapting to the rigors of television production.
    — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Tesla’s second-generation Roadster pairs ambitious performance hardware with a cockpit interface designed around driving data.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of ambitious
Noun
  • There was no nasty DM needed or a post calling out the fan's thirst.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • But neither remedy has removed the need for fossil fuels and no price spike has changed the thirst for oil.
    — Wael Mahdi, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of thirst
Adjective
  • Snapping open and shut the phone satisfied some deep, restless urge, and the same was true for the rotational flourish of the wrist involved in opening and closing the knife.
    — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The basal ganglia get better at their job during the first thirty years of life; this is partly why kids are more impulsive and restless than adults.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of restless
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
  • Staff told me that the same families return every August because their children are so obsessed with the Kids Club counselors.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Yet Before Hollywood became obsessed with Curry Barker, Markiplier opened the year in a submarine full of blood.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of obsessed

Browse Nearby Words

long hauls
longing
longing (for)
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Cite this Entry

“Longing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/longing. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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