longing
[ lawng-ing, long- ]
/ ˈlɔŋ ɪŋ, ˈlɒŋ- /
Save This Word!
noun
strong, persistent desire or craving, especially for something unattainable or distant: filled with longing for home.
an instance of this: a sudden longing to see old friends.
adjective
having or characterized by persistent or earnest desire: a longing look.
OTHER WORDS FOR longing
1 aspiration.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!
In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”
Question 1 of 7
The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing
synonym study for longing
1. See desire.
OTHER WORDS FROM longing
long·ing·ly, adverblong·ing·ness, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use longing in a sentence
A girl longing to fit inLike Gabrielle, StVil, as a new immigrant, tried to change things about herself to belong.
Author’s immigrant story inspires debut novel for kids|Mary Quattlebaum|February 2, 2021|Washington PostI only make it when I’m truly sick or, sometimes simply sick for home, although whether that longing is for my mother or grandmother or just the feeling of being cared for as a child, I don’t know.
As the neglected wife of a high school football coach, she depicted the longing of a middle-aged woman seeking emotional connection.
Cloris Leachman, Oscar-winning actress who played Frau Blücher (neighhh!) in ‘Young Frankenstein,’ dies at 94|Adam Bernstein|January 27, 2021|Washington PostSo how does this longingness for acceptance and attention by a male figure a true feminist make?
British Dictionary definitions for longing
longing
/ (ˈlɒŋɪŋ) /
noun
a prolonged unfulfilled desire or need
adjective
having or showing desire or needa longing look
Derived forms of longing
longingly, adverbCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012