as in desire
a strong wish for something
by four o'clock in the afternoon, I usually experience a strong longing for chocolate
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pining
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of longing
Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
The lyrical themes hinted at in the phone line — loneliness, desire, longing — may also draw from changes in Musgraves’ personal life.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Merve Emre, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for longing
Noun
That longing created in her a mission to share her culture and bring a deeper understanding of it to Austin.
—Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
The lyrical themes hinted at in the phone line — loneliness, desire, longing — may also draw from changes in Musgraves’ personal life.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 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
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General manager Kyle Davidson expressed pregame his desire to keep the right winger.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
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The Creature thinks his suffering can only cease if it is replicated in another, and expresses this desire through possessive, dehumanizing language.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Pretzel pieces, marshmallows, chocolate chips, and colorful candies fulfill your sweet and salty cravings.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
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Lamba said she’s seen the craving for social connection increase with the rise of social media, but that creating community can often happen in untraditional places, like Glo30.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Noun
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Hence, any hit to electrical infrastructure creates an immediate ripple effect of thirst.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
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Between her thirst-trap selfies and fabulous rendezvous, the 84-year-old never fails to deliver in the content department.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Career conversations ask for calm leadership as the vibrant Sun embraces clever Mercury in your 10th House of Respect, invigorating you with ambitious potential.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
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As their most ambitious composer, Wise set his sights on the console’s SPC700 sound chip, maximizing its potential by conceiving an inventive, maddeningly strenuous composition process.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Resisting the urge to pause for a photo every few steps could very well become your biggest challenge of the trip; that, or deciding where to eat.—
Annie Daly,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
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Usually this practice demands restraint, even if the urge is to scatter tinsel over every line.—
Jasna Hodžić,
Big Think,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But for Farelo, a restless artist who describes herself as endlessly curious, that was just the beginning.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
7 Mar. 2026
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The restless first movement does quite a variety of things with an underlying waltz rhythm.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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An answer to that hunger lies in these hearty beef flautas, which get tang and earthiness from adobo and lime, and a tenderness from many hours of slow cooking.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
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Each pie costs $23, $20 during happy hour, with $1 for every pizza sold on Pi Day going to local organizations combatting hunger.—
Fielding Buck,
Oc Register,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Longing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/longing. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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