as in craving
a strong wish for something
had a sudden yearning for something sweet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in crying
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of yearning
Leesa Cross-Smith, People.com, 21 June 2025
Investors long yearning for milder inflation in order to justify interest rate cuts celebrated Wednesday’s release.
—Derek Saul, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
People celebrating this holiday weekend may have different ideas about what sparked the American Revolution: a yearning for liberty; a revulsion at taxation without representation; or a desire to have a national sport where players can touch the ball with their hands.
—Scott Simon, NPR, 5 July 2025
Elliot — a misfit yearning for coherence and connection; a cog raging against the machine that owns him — rebooted the alienated hero to electrifying effect.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for yearning
Verb
The yearning in both of these stories is enough to make soft hearts kick their blankets in glee, and the reunions make the waiting more than worth it.
—Leesa Cross-Smith, People.com, 21 June 2025
Investors long yearning for milder inflation in order to justify interest rate cuts celebrated Wednesday’s release.
—Derek Saul, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
People celebrating this holiday weekend may have different ideas about what sparked the American Revolution: a yearning for liberty; a revulsion at taxation without representation; or a desire to have a national sport where players can touch the ball with their hands.
—Scott Simon, NPR, 5 July 2025
Elliot — a misfit yearning for coherence and connection; a cog raging against the machine that owns him — rebooted the alienated hero to electrifying effect.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for yearning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yearning
Noun
-
Metaphorically, the fight is the smoke, and the longing is the fire.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
The sign says that rubbing the ox brings good luck, its forehead dark with the sweat of human longing.—
Rebecca Chace
July 14,
Literary Hub,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
The Star is on the hunt to fulfill some cravings among the Kansas City area’s rich buffet of restaurants, stores, bakeries, coffee shops and more.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
14 July 2025
-
These intense cravings could be for some sort of quick energy burst or even for nostalgic purposes.—
Monica Cull,
Discover Magazine,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Lambda Legal’s help desk has already received more requests for assistance with health care, employment and housing discrimination in the first half of 2025 than in all of 2024, with the most pressing need coming from trans and nonbinary callers.—
Tyrone Beason
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
9 July 2025
-
With the July 31 trade deadline just a few weeks away and the Yankees not playing their best baseball lately, the team’s most pressing needs are obvious.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Wheeler will not participate in the game, citing his desire to stay on routine to help the Phillies win in the second half.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
-
At its core, this lifestyle aesthetic reflects a generation’s desire to return to a slower, simpler way of life.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
His voice was deliberate and insistent, reinforcing the coercive atmosphere.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
2 July 2025
-
Would the nurse have been so insistent had my father been English?—
Jhumpa Lahiri,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
After all, these rich, beautiful people couldn't possibly see past Dee's uncontrollable urge to panic-gag and Charlie's uncontrollable desire to shove grotesque amounts of cheese in his mouth, right?—
Dennis Perkins,
EW.com,
10 July 2025
-
That means listening harder, partnering deeper and resisting the urge to simply digitize outdated practices with shinier tools.—
Alex Goryachev,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
At least four foreign nationals have tried within the last month to unlawfully enter the U.S. through the San Ysidro Port of Entry using ambulances as cover and posing as patients in need of urgent medical attention, according to court documents in four federal criminal cases.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 July 2025
-
The National Weather Service sent urgent alerts about potentially life-threatening danger hours in advance of the flash floods, leaving time to notify and try to evacuate people in harm’s way.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
ProPublica,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Matty is assigned to Olympia (Skye P. Marshall), a senior attorney and key rainmaker with a thirst for justice.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
15 July 2025
-
Cooper Flagg’s work ethic does not specifically come from a thirst from within, a drive to be the best.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Yearning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yearning. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share