- present participle of hanker.
hankering
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hankering
Explanation
A hankering is a strong desire for something. If you have a hankering for pizza, you really want some pizza. This is a folksy, informal word that means about the same thing as yearning. When you have a hankering, you want something. Often, people use this word for food, as in "I have a hankering for sushi!" You could have a hankering for football season, a new pair of shoes, or a trip to the beach. Anything you want could spawn a hankering. This word is related to a sense of hanker that means to want or crave something.
Vocabulary lists containing hankering
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When we had a hankering for tofu, I mooched soybeans from an Illinois farmer friend, cooked them up and formed delectable tofu in a wooden box.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026
It’s the absolute goal of every resort operator to satisfy that hankering.
From Slate ● Apr. 11, 2026
After nearly eight months of "oily and salty" prison food, Barbie told the Sunday Times she would like to have some salad and marmite, while Peter was hankering for baked beans.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2025
It is by no means comprehensive, but if you’re hankering for one great music doc or 10, it’s a place to start.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 26, 2024
“Well, I suppose I best be on my way. I ain’t got no hankering to interrupt any more learning!”
From "Stella by Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
