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.

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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

His public pining for a Nobel Peace Prize.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

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

Reflecting on this new approach to online dating, I wonder if we are going full circle, pining for the traditional dating culture of the pre-internet age?

From BBC • Aug. 2, 2025

Toward the end of 2023, pining for a more intimate party that wouldn’t draw crowds in the thousands, Rigal discussed reviving Simon Says with his partners Daisy O’Dell, Sean Patrick and Mark Hunter.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2025

She might be pining for England, like always.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Related Words

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