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

Sinners is one of the great vampire movies of the modern age, mining the legend of these perpetual outsiders who desperately yearn to belong. —Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 June 2025

But today, people are again yearning for the banjo’s groove. —Essence, 29 May 2025

Those who yearn for a front seat to calm ocean vistas might consider staying in one of these remote cabins—hidden gems nestled right on Chile’s Pacific coast, near the village of Matanzas. —Kimberley Mok, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2025

Pep Guardiola has rarely yearned for a comeback more. —Phil Hay, New York Times, 21 May 2025