Dictionary.com

hanker

[ hang-ker ]
/ ˈhæŋ kər /
See synonyms for: hanker / hankering on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to have a restless or incessant longing (often followed by after, for, or an infinitive).

QUIZZES

LEARN THE SPANISH WORDS FOR THESE COMMON ANIMALS!

Are you learning Spanish? Or do you just have an interest in foreign languages? Either way, this quiz on Spanish words for animals is for you.
Question 1 of 13
How do you say “cat” 🐈 in Spanish?
gato/gata
cato/cata
gatto/gatta
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of hanker

First recorded in 1595–1605; from early Dutch dialect hankeren (cognate with Dutch hunkeren ), frequentative of hangen “to hang”; see hang

synonym study for hanker

See yearn.

OTHER WORDS FROM hanker

han·ker·er, noun

Words nearby hanker

Hangzhou Bay, Hania, Hanifah, haniwa, hank, hanker, hankering, Hankou, Hankow, Hanks, hanky
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to hanker

yearn, crave, itch, yen, wish, covet, hunger, pine, lust, long, want, sigh, ache, thirst, partial to

Example sentences from the Web for hanker

British Dictionary definitions for hanker

hanker
/ (ˈhæŋkə) /

verb

(foll by for, after, or an infinitive) to have a yearning (for something or to do something)

Derived forms of hanker

hankering, noun

Word Origin for hanker

C17: probably from Dutch dialect hankeren
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012