rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryyearningDeep longing
noun / adjective

yearning

YUR-ning/ˈjɜːrnɪŋ/

A strong feeling of longing or desire.

The woman gazes at her partner's photograph with persistent yearning.

A compact day-to-night diptych shows the same woman repeatedly absorbed in a photograph of her absent romantic partner, conveying a strong, persistent longing for his presence.
Etymology
yearnOld Englishdesire, strive, be eager
+ingEnglishforming a noun from a verb

Old English giernan meant not just “desire” but also “strive” and “be eager.” Yearning names that eager desire as a feeling of strong longing.

In context

ChronosTV7:12
did not satisfy his yearning for the extraordinary his adventurous Spirit craved something more something extraordinary
The Most Insane Everest Stunt: Morris Wilson's Daring Adventure!

More examples

  • His yearning to travel grows stronger every year.
  • She gives the departing train a yearning look.
  • The poems express his private hopes and yearnings.

Forms

yearning · yearnings

yearn verb — To feel a deep longing.

Similar words

longing
Nearly interchangeable; emphasizes deeply wanting something absent or unattainable.
desire
Broader and often less emotionally intense than yearning.
craving
Often suggests an urgent appetite rather than wistful emotional longing.