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
Classic stories of pining and desire are also getting their share of attention. — Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 9 Sep. 2026 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
  • With her toadstool-like jet-black perm and dark red lipstick, Haru is a striking presence, the sensuousness of her moves conveying both longing and sorrow.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Without authentic longing, and without any bittersweet complexity to the portrait of one social order replacing another, we’re left with little more than puffs of amusement, enough to escalate your mood but bound to fade by morning.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 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
  • Although The Love Witch played around 100 theaters upon its 2016 debut, will audiences’ cravings for something different be enough to secure a wide release for The Face of Horror a decade later?
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Needing coffee immediately upon waking and experiencing afternoon fatigue, irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, and sugar cravings.
    — Marie Bladt, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of craving
Noun
  • The idea of a child receiving an injection for weight loss strikes at something deep — a desire to let children be children, free from adult burdens.
    — Babak J. Orandi, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
  • His desire echoes that of his boss, BBC Studios Productions chief Zai Bennett, which is to invest in around two to three of these new-look talent labels per year.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of desire
Noun
  • The urge to act quickly could be strong, but not every realization needs an immediate dramatic response.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Palate-cleansing, complex, but also leaving an urge for a more primal satisfaction.
    — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of urge
Noun
  • Naturally, many of those discussions gravitated toward data centers and AI’s thirst for electrons.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Advanced signs include anxiety, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, extreme thirst paired with panic at the sight of fluids, heavy saliva and aggressive thrashing or biting.
    — The Sacramento Bee staff, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 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 3 Oct. 2026.

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