pine

Synonym Chooser

How is the word pine distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of pine are hanker, hunger, long, thirst, and yearn. While all these words mean "to have a strong desire for something," pine implies a languishing or a fruitless longing for what is impossible.

pined for a lost love

In what contexts can hanker take the place of pine?

While in some cases nearly identical to pine, hanker suggests the uneasy promptings of unsatisfied appetite or desire.

always hankering for money

How do hunger and thirst relate to one another, in the sense of pine?

Both hunger and thirst imply an insistent or impatient craving or a compelling need.

hungered for a business of his own
thirsted for power

When can long be used instead of pine?

In some situations, the words long and pine are roughly equivalent. However, long implies a wishing with one's whole heart and often a striving to attain.

longed for some rest

Where would yearn be a reasonable alternative to pine?

The synonyms yearn and pine are sometimes interchangeable, but yearn suggests an eager, restless, or painful longing.

yearned for a stage career

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 pine Meanwhile, a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cameron James burned, pined, and perished for Kat's sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) — but was only allowed to date her if Kat found a suitor. Danny Horn, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2025 This sunscreen is also gently fragranced with chamomile flower oil, gujju pine tree leaf oil, and artemisia wormwood extract for a small dose of refreshing aromatherapy. Sarah Han, Allure, 3 Jan. 2025 In the summer of 2022, Zegler told red carpet interviewers that her version of the iconic princess wouldn’t spend her days pining over a man. Katcy Stephan, Variety, 15 Mar. 2025 The father-son duo made headlines earlier this month while at a sneaker convention, with Sam — who turned 13 in February — pining over a pair of $6,000 Air Dior kicks. Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pine
Verb
  • Mine longs not for constant contact or suffocating devotion, but for a… partnership.
    TJ Macias, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2025
  • More recent offerings—from The Idea of You to Netflix’s My Oxford Year—have left me longing for a time when the economy was okay-ish, NPR was still funded, and Emma Stone still made broad comedies.
    Emma Specter, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The cultural power of showing us in all our authentic glory reached individuals who had yearned for a publication that spoke to them.
    Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 4 Aug. 2025
  • For years, Demi Lovato’s OG fans yearned for her return to rock.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pine. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on pine

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