pining

American  

[pahy-ning] / ˈpaɪ nɪŋ /

adjective

1. suffering with or expressing longing or yearning for someone or something.

   Exposing her vulnerability and loneliness, the poet addresses her country as would a pining woman in a letter to her beloved in a distant land.

   Her pining vocals on these tracks throb with the loneliness and emptiness of fresh separation.

2. failing gradually in health or vitality, especially from grief, regret, or longing.

   The day after the altercation he took sick, and continued in a pining and languishing condition till his death, which soon ensued.

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noun

1. the act or state of yearning or longing, or of gradually failing in health or vitality.

   It’s a story of the pining we all feel for the pleasures of our childhood and the relationships that once held us in safety.

Etymology

Origin of pining

First recorded in 1200–50; pin(e) ² ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; pin(e) ² ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun sense

Example Sentences

His public pining for a Nobel Peace Prize.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

In his seven-figure Olympian existence, we can step out of our solitary pining into an enviable characterization, one that is seldom offered to characters that look and love like us.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026

He is also pining for his young children, with the second one arriving in late November.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

This mixed bag of form has seen some supporters pining for the return of former manager Ange Postecoglou, and his often entertaining tactic of 'Angeball'.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2025

It’s not like I expected him to sit home all weekend, pining for me, but would it have killed him to act a little disappointed?

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

Related Words

• attitude
• character
• decision
• desire
• determination
• discipline
• feeling
• inclination
• intention
• mind
• passion
• power
• resolution
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