yearning
Americannoun
-
deep longing, especially when accompanied by tenderness or sadness.
a widower's yearning for his wife.
-
an instance of such longing.
noun
Related Words
See desire.
Other Word Forms
- unyearning adjective
- yearningly adverb
Etymology
Origin of yearning
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English gierninge; equivalent to yearn + -ing 1
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.
That is also what she enjoys most in Boys' Love stories: "The tenderness, the yearning and the emotional connection between the two male leads."
From BBC
Mr. Scaggs’s moving lyrics and yearning vocal made the song a pop standard.
The lyrics of trot songs typically revolve around love and separation, or the yearning for a warm, familiar home.
From BBC
Just to get us all up to speed on what’s happening with The Youth: The social trend most associated with Gen Z is declining to date, and instead dedicating themselves to romantic yearning.
From Salon
She could portray this person yearning to connect with something deeper as an actor.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
