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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of longing
Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 2 Nov. 2025
Teller took to heart the classic Greek playwright Aristophanes’ myth of love — that humans were born as a fusion of two bodies and later separated as punishment from the gods, only to spend their lives looking — and longing — for their other half.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
Merve Emre, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for longing
Noun
But with Venus moving into your emotionally intense fourth house, there’s also a longing to retreat, to nurture your inner child, to reconnect with what truly feels like home.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 2 Nov. 2025
Teller took to heart the classic Greek playwright Aristophanes’ myth of love — that humans were born as a fusion of two bodies and later separated as punishment from the gods, only to spend their lives looking — and longing — for their other half.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
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
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The trend captures a kind of affordable opulence, a desire to evoke the elegance of wealth without its cost.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
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His decision to make the move to college was in large part driven by a desire to test himself.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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If a bowl of fries smothered in nuggies, cheese, and rich gravy sounds like a comforting way to spend your lunch break, KFC has your cravings covered.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
6 Jan. 2026
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Participants attend class three days a week and learn how to develop skills to manage stress, anger, cravings and triggers.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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This is, in part, correct: Voldemort is extremely covetous of power.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
Noun
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It’s powered by triple Volvo Penta D13-IPS1200 engines, which caused some grumbling among brand purists with a thirst for speed.—
Michael Verdon,
Robb Report,
7 Nov. 2025
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To quench her thirst, the women served the baby sips of water from the plastic cap of a gallon water jug.—
Daniel Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Federal officials decided to fund an ambitious megaproject to sequence all human genes.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
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China’s ambitious plan to build the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC), a multibillion-dollar project aimed at creating the world’s largest particle collider, is likely to be officially stalled after it was not included in the country’s next five-year plan.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The sudden sting, the constant urge to run to the bathroom and the interruptions to work or intimacy can feel both embarrassing and unsettling.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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Vande Kolk could empathize with Ryan’s urge to escape his life.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Unlike restless Nora, Agnes is married with a son, able to view her deeply flawed dad from the vantage point of both a daughter and mother.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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Many knitters describe the activity as a way to channel anxious or restless energy into something tangible.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Beat Afternoon Hunger Chia seeds make a satisfying midday snack when hunger hits.—
Morgan Pearson,
Verywell Health,
7 Nov. 2025
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About one out of every seven California residents depends on CalFresh — the state’s branding for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP — to stave off hunger.—
JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Longing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/longing. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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