Synonyms of yearn

yearn

verb

as in to long

Related Words

• long
• pine
• agonize
• fear
• worry
• bother
• despair
• trouble
• chafe
• stress
• sweat
• fret
• stew
• fuss

Dissimilar Words

• accept
• take
• endure
• sustain
• tolerate
• abide
• bear
• stick out
• stomach

Synonym Chooser

How is the word yearn distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of yearn are hanker, hunger, long, pine, and thirst. While all these words mean "to have a strong desire for something," yearn suggests an eager, restless, or painful longing.

yearned for a stage career

Where would hanker be a reasonable alternative to yearn?

The synonyms hanker and yearn are sometimes interchangeable, but hanker suggests the uneasy promptings of unsatisfied appetite or desire.

always hankering for money

How are the words hunger and thirst related as synonyms of yearn?

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 could long be used to replace yearn?

Although the words long and yearn have much in common, long implies a wishing with one's whole heart and often a striving to attain.

longed for some rest

When might pine be a better fit than yearn?

The words pine and yearn can be used in similar contexts, but pine implies a languishing or a fruitless longing for what is impossible.

pined for a lost love

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of yearn

For a bonus blanket kick, yearning K-drama, check out Something in the Rain. —Leesa Cross-Smith, People.com, 21 June 2025

Some council members and City Hall critics yearn for a return to the previous city manager form of government as part of the answer to San Diego’s problems. —Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 June 2025

There’s no need to yearn for a female 007 or a woman Wick anymore – just hope for another film that’s all about Eve. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 June 2025

An early Super 70s fan, installed in the front row, queasily yearned for quips about the days of dirt bikes and cigarette machines, or even for those days themselves. —Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 19 May 2025