pining 1 of 3

noun

as in longing
a strong wish for something a sudden pining to have steak for dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pining

2 of 3

adjective

as in covetous

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

pining

3 of 3

verb

present participle of pine
as in yearning

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 pining
Noun
Reporter and Army vet Mare (Chelsea Frei) does a little secret pining for the new boss. — Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026 De la Fuente has received a lot of criticism from the media and Spanish fans online for Monday’s performance, and there is a lot of nostalgic pining for former assistant manager Pablo Amo, who left the coaching staff in February 2025 but who many say was the real mastermind of the Euro 2024 squad. — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 21 June 2026 Zohran Mamdani has just moved in, and considering the thoughtful aesthetic details of his campaign—which his stylish first lady, artist Rama Duwaji, had a hand in designing—we’re pining for a look at how the couple decorates their new digs. — Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pining
  1. longing
  2. covetous
  3. craving
  4. desire
  5. urge
  6. thirst
Noun
  • Anemoia is essentially an imagined memory, a longing built from movies, photographs, and secondhand stories rather than lived experience.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Questions around beauty and longing recur, as do keywords (such as ‘password’), names, references and scenic features, but what fascinated me most is that in principle each episode could be read as a little patchy universe on its own.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of longing
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
Definition of covetous
Noun
  • But despite the evident craving for stories about L-O-V-E, literary fiction has struggled to master the art of the crossover.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026
  • For kiddos and adults, fruit serves as a healthy alternative to candy, delivering vitamins, fiber, and hydration while satisfying sweet cravings.
    — Sierra Leone Starks, Parents, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of craving
Noun
  • Having a comfy and accommodating chair can reduce the desire to get up give you more time to get more work done.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Trump’s desire, which is to coat the granite facade with white paint, has been met with significant pushback from historians who say that covering the historic building’s granite exterior with paint could trap moisture and damage the stone.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of desire
Noun
  • However, holding pee for a long period of time and ignoring the urge to go might increase the risk of certain problems, such as urinary tract infections.
    — Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Our research team found that, in abstaining mice, this urge to drink is preceded by changes in the activity of a particular brain region, pointing to potential new screening opportunities to identify and help those most vulnerable to relapse.
    — Marie Doyle, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of urge
Noun
  • What the estate has built in the 15 years since his death is a testament to the thirst for life that the artist had while on this earth.
    — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026
  • After marking his 61st birthday with a vintage video from his 3rd birthday back in 1966, Stamos returned to thirst-trapping for his 62nd.
    — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of thirst

Browse Nearby Words

pinholes
pining
pining (away)
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Cite this Entry

“Pining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pining. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pining

Nglish: Translation of pining for Spanish Speakers

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