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
Molly Burford, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026
Hein’s memories turn out to be underscored not only by longing and melancholy, but an instinct of self-preservation.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 12 Apr. 2026
Merve Emre, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for longing
Noun
Some Instagram users expressed concerns about the new adaptation, many longing for the original version of the show.
—Molly Burford, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026
Hein’s memories turn out to be underscored not only by longing and melancholy, but an instinct of self-preservation.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 12 Apr. 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
-
Her square to picky Venus, though, could pit self-care desires against home chores.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Trump has expressed a desire to push more responsibility for disasters down to states.—
Gabriela Aoun Angueira,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Yet, at the same time, relentless convenience (or being sold the idea of relentless convenience) warps the brain in ways that make nostalgic cravings somewhat inevitable.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Ever get a craving for that goodness?—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 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
-
Will Frances throw over Jol for Bill from True Blood, or is her thirst for vengeance not yet slaked?—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
-
But for average people, the thirst signal is a good indicator.—
Dee-Ann Durbin,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The agency has even more ambitious plans in the years ahead — including putting boots down on the moon just a couple of years from now.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The actress puts her Broadway chops to good use as the ambitious perfectionist (and Barbra Streisand obsessive) Rachel Berry on Glee, earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the role.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This new moon will infuse you with the sudden urge to leave your comfort zone, Thomas says.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
-
When fostering in an apartment for the first time, resist the urge to get a puppy.—
The Editors,
Curbed,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Attempts to engage with restless residents who worried about where the whole effort was headed.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Inside, the Electric Mayhem band will be cranking out new tunes as the first-ever Audio-Animatronics figure of Scooter and some audio engineer penguins do their best to convince them to stop jamming to get to their increasingly restless fans across town.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
My life don’t have to be all hunger and silty beans.—
Jesmyn Ward,
Vanity Fair,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The market will take up to two years to complete, but many along Deerpath know that a fresh food shop coming to the vacant lot also feeds the hunger for community value and respect.—
Steve Pickett,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Longing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/longing. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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