yearn
verb (used without object)
to have an earnest or strong desire; long.
yearned
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past participleof yearn.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof yearn.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
yearnverb (used without object)to have an earnest or strong desire; long.
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.
After Spooner made his documentary, he realized how much the film resonated with Black punks who yearned for community and acceptance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
That’s the Appalachian landscape that Baurichter, a writer and stay-at-home mother in Higginsport, yearned to return to after a stint in Cincinnati for college.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
But Schulte’s surveys and focus groups clearly showed that men yearned to contribute to care and share obligations equally with women.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
But I yearned for a way of understanding the world that could make room for both the importance of my past and the existence of my own agency.”
From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2026
She yearned for playmates but did not know how to make friends with the other little girls.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
