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
as in pining
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of longing
Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 11 May 2026
Both singers seemed so coolly detached yet their words and melodies were utterly compelling and evoked so much longing.
—Liza Lentini, SPIN, 8 May 2026
Merve Emre, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for longing
Noun
Sadness is often understood as a response to loss, unmet needs, or longing.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 11 May 2026
Both singers seemed so coolly detached yet their words and melodies were utterly compelling and evoked so much longing.
—Liza Lentini, SPIN, 8 May 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
Noun
-
This sentiment aligns with Aries' desire to win in all areas of life.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
-
Marketers, in particular, have boatloads of insight into the diverse desires and habits of target audiences.—
Alex Cooper,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
In other words, this high drama of winners and losers follows a very, very old human narrative tradition rooted in our craving for catharsis.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
-
The white-meat nuggets are delicious on their own and satisfy that fast-food craving—especially when they’re prepped in the air fryer and dipped in our favorite sauces.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
9 May 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
-
But there doesn’t seem to be a limit to younger film and TV connoisseurs’ thirst for his irreverent and unapologetically gay comedic stylings.—
Elaina Patton,
IndieWire,
12 May 2026
-
He's even appeared in thirst-traps alongside a shirtless Powell.—
Alexandra Schonfeld,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
The plans, however, were complicated by the project’s ambitious scope.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
16 May 2026
-
Chelsea are ninth, four points off a European place that was once an expectation and now looks an ambitious target.—
Sukhman Singh,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
At one, he’d been overcome by the powerful urge to roam.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
-
Huang described a future of plentiful and high-paying jobs in the trades, and a growing share of young workers—whether due to disillusionment with four-year degrees or out of an urge to AI-proof their careers—are beginning to see these roles as a real possibility.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
The new big rig essentially picks up where those two leave off, giving restless travelers a vessel for achieving their most ambitious dream adventures – an off-road RV that's bigger, more capable and more self-sufficient than anything Winnebago offers currently, or has sold previously.—
C.C. Weiss
May 17,
New Atlas,
17 May 2026
-
Feeling restless in your current environment?—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
For example, dopamine is crucial to link motivation about hunger to obtaining food.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
-
In an effort to raise money to fight hunger and homelessness, Hands Across America attempted to link people hand-in-hand from coast to coast, each participant being encouraged to make a donation.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Longing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/longing. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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