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Synonyms

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.

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It’s still an expansive saga, though a graceless opening had this viewer pining for the 2024 French version with Pierre Niney as Edmond Dantès.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 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

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

These include that Takeshi Okawara, the manager of Japan's first KFC outlet, overheard foreigners pining for turkey, which is often eaten at Christmas in Britain and the United States.

From Barron's • Dec. 3, 2025

“Winky is pining, Harry Potter,” Dobby whispered sadly.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

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.