yearn

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

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 yearn As a kid growing up in Michigan, making it to the NBA was not the only thing Devin Booker yearned for. Leah Faye Cooper, Vogue, 19 Aug. 2025 And the people yearn for a tour A quick trip to Kelly’s Instagram comments and one demand stands out among the rest: Tour. Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 13 Aug. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for yearn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yearn
Verb
  • With fall gatherings, football season, and sweater weather on the horizon, many of us are longing for the cooler weather and our favorite football dip.
    Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The trade of Parsons certainly inflicted some anguish on Cowboys fans who have been longing for the franchise to at least get back to the NFC Championship Game.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The 34-mile road winds through several ecosystems from cove hardwood to northern hardwood to pine oak to spruce fir.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Parts read like a narrative, other parts sound like a letter to the husband, sometimes explanatory, sometimes apologetic, sometimes pining.
    The Know, Denver Post, 18 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Yearn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yearn. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on yearn

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