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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pining
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
Laura Ungar, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
The tension between the illusion of your longings and the transformation taking place could be strong right now.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 18 June 2025
Is something deeper, perhaps an emotional or spiritual longing, influencing your career choices?
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 25 June 2025
The heartbreak in Ruhl’s version lies in the longing of the father-daughter relationship rather than that of the lovers; Ruhl wrote it as a tribute to her own father, who had died a few years before.
—Pamela Newton
june 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for longing
Verb
For them, news of measles outbreaks and rising whooping cough cases brings back terrible memories of lives forever changed — and a longing to spare others from similar pain.
—Laura Ungar, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
The tension between the illusion of your longings and the transformation taking place could be strong right now.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 18 June 2025
Is something deeper, perhaps an emotional or spiritual longing, influencing your career choices?
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 25 June 2025
The heartbreak in Ruhl’s version lies in the longing of the father-daughter relationship rather than that of the lovers; Ruhl wrote it as a tribute to her own father, who had died a few years before.
—Pamela Newton
june 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for longing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for longing
Noun
-
Wheeler will not participate in the game, citing his desire to stay on routine to help the Phillies win in the second half.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
-
At its core, this lifestyle aesthetic reflects a generation’s desire to return to a slower, simpler way of life.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
The Star is on the hunt to fulfill some cravings among the Kansas City area’s rich buffet of restaurants, stores, bakeries, coffee shops and more.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
14 July 2025
-
These intense cravings could be for some sort of quick energy burst or even for nostalgic purposes.—
Monica Cull,
Discover Magazine,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
This is, in part, correct: Voldemort is extremely covetous of power.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
-
Image Meet Me at the Crossroads by Megan Giddings The sudden appearance of seven mysterious doors across the world draws attention from religious sects, covetous billionaires and everyday people who speculate over what lies on the other side.—
Laura Thompson,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
Matty is assigned to Olympia (Skye P. Marshall), a senior attorney and key rainmaker with a thirst for justice.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
15 July 2025
-
Cooper Flagg’s work ethic does not specifically come from a thirst from within, a drive to be the best.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
These are the most ambitious headphones Skullcandy has ever released.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
Matthew Tostevin What To Know The Line, the most ambitious piece of Neom, was unveiled as a pair of parallel 500-meter-tall skyscrapers stretching through the desert.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
After all, these rich, beautiful people couldn't possibly see past Dee's uncontrollable urge to panic-gag and Charlie's uncontrollable desire to shove grotesque amounts of cheese in his mouth, right?—
Dennis Perkins,
EW.com,
10 July 2025
-
That means listening harder, partnering deeper and resisting the urge to simply digitize outdated practices with shinier tools.—
Alex Goryachev,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
Better to wait the performance out, to hope the protesters would get restless and give up.—
Clare Sestanovich,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
-
Life was full and busy, but beneath the surface, Nancy was restless.—
Dateline NBC,
NBC news,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
Cafu, on the other hand, will be entering the ring with plenty of confidence and hunger, knowing that an upset win could change his life and put him at the center of the super flyweight spotlight.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 July 2025
-
So the Dolphins open their training camp this coming Tuesday and the Canes unfurl their preseason work a week later as two massive fan bases ache with hunger that one or both might do what neither has in a generation: Make Miami Great Again.—
Greg Cote
July 17,
Miami Herald,
17 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Longing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/longing. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share