hanker

[hang-ker]

verb (used without object)

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

hanker

/ ˈhæŋkə /

verb

1. to have a yearning (for something or to do something)

Other Word Forms

• hankering noun
• hankerer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hanker¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of hanker¹

C17: probably from Dutch dialect hankeren

Synonym Study

See yearn.

Example Sentences

When markets eventually correct, New York Democrats will be hankering for another tax fix to feed their spending habits.

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Customers, he insisted, still hankered after the noise and fury of a conventional motor.

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Studies also indicate that for some people, cravings for highly palatable foods go well beyond just a normal hankering for a snack and are, in fact, signs of addictive behavior.

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Let’s hope he doesn’t get a hankering for a Best Actor Oscar, or he might sign an executive order mandating an “emergency” tax of $100 per movie ticket.

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There are people who have a hankering for high arches or for feet covered in lotion.

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Related Words

• crave 
• itch 
• yearn