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
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Recent Examples of longing
Sarah Mower, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2025
Just as Gein claimed his mother's death drove him to madness and pushed him to commit horrific crimes to fulfill his longing to quite literally embody her, Norman's warped devotion to the late Norma is ultimately revealed as the trigger for his descent into psychosis.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
The action is largely desynchronized, the activities onscreen contrasting with the voice-over narrations, with the effect of destabilizing the present tense of the movie, imbuing it with nostalgia and with longing for possible futures.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2025
In the end, Open Group’s tragic karaoke tune captures fear, longing, suspense, despair, loss, destruction, displacement, awaiting of news, disappointment in diplomatic solutions, the ecological and human toll of it all.
—Joanna Warsza, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for longing
Verb
This must’ve been a dream for someone whose personal style—if not his work—betrays the longing of a hippie born too late (in 1967), and in the wrong place to have been part of the vanguard of the first peace and love trippers.
—Sarah Mower, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2025
Just as Gein claimed his mother's death drove him to madness and pushed him to commit horrific crimes to fulfill his longing to quite literally embody her, Norman's warped devotion to the late Norma is ultimately revealed as the trigger for his descent into psychosis.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
The action is largely desynchronized, the activities onscreen contrasting with the voice-over narrations, with the effect of destabilizing the present tense of the movie, imbuing it with nostalgia and with longing for possible futures.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2025
In the end, Open Group’s tragic karaoke tune captures fear, longing, suspense, despair, loss, destruction, displacement, awaiting of news, disappointment in diplomatic solutions, the ecological and human toll of it all.
—Joanna Warsza, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for longing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for longing
Noun
-
Some top producers and talent were impressed by Weiss’ desire to immediately juice the network’s political bookings, as well as her ability to actually nab a few notable guests, like former secretaries of state Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The desire behind the making of the series was to right that wrong.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Known for his comic relief, zany ways of thinking, and cravings for bizarre foods, the audience admires his individuality and loyalty to Scooby.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The katakuchi spout is a nod to functionality, allowing for smooth pouring during tea ceremonies or morning caffeine cravings.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
This is, in part, correct: Voldemort is extremely covetous of power.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
There’s another nagging concern — that consumer reaction to the trade conflicts could curb the international thirst for American spirits in key markets.—
Joseph Hostetler,
Fortune,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Common symptoms include significant weight loss, feelings of fatigue and heightened vulnerability to infections, as well as frequent urination and excessive thirst.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
O'Connor does a great job of embodying the character of Mooney, who is not the ambitious criminal the film's title suggests.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
17 Oct. 2025
-
In the moment that summarizes one of Good News’ thematic throughlines, Nobody is speaking to Seo Go-myung (Weak Hero Class 1’s Hong Kyung), an ambitious Air Force lieutenant who is as close to an audience surrogate as Good News gets.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Facilities like Sankofa and Nova House help those recovering from addiction fill their time with activities that distract them from the urge to use.—
Natalie Eilbert,
jsonline.com,
17 Oct. 2025
-
By the end of the trip, the urge to check her phone had subsided.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That election, which will select members of Iraq's 329-seat parliament, comes amid rising unemployment, which continues to weigh on Iraq's young and restless population.—
Emma Graham,
CNBC,
15 Oct. 2025
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An impressive four-game winning streak followed a lopsided loss at Wazzu that had some natives not just restless but greasing skids and sharpening pitchforks.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Food assistance leaders in the state worried about what will happen to Colorado communities already plagued by hunger after the looming federal cuts and restricted access to resources.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
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The hunger-desire gleaming in their eyes brought to mind that poem about goblin men selling goblin fruit.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Longing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/longing. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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