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

Civil society yearned for accountability and expressed concerns about job loss, copyright infringement, disinformation and privacy. —Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025

Much like the young demigods yearning to prove themselves on quests, the actors were itching to get off the volume stage and onto real sets this season. —EW.com, 22 July 2025

His experience could bring more leadership to a team yearning to replicate the magic of its championship-winning 2023-24 season. —Andy Theobald, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2025

And if that's what happens, these new mini e-bikes could be exactly what new riders have been yearning for a while. —New Atlas, 14 July 2025