Synonyms for
Yearning
Definition
a feeling of intense longing for something
Synonyms & similar words
Synonyms by register
Antonyms
Common collocations
- yearning for the past
- yearning for freedom
- deep yearning
- intense yearning
- yearning for home
- yearning for love
- yearning to succeed
Word family
Usage note
Yearning implies a strong, often melancholic, desire for something absent or lost. It is generally more intense and emotional than simple 'wanting'.
Example sentences
- After being away from home for a long time, she felt a yearning to go back.
- The smell of fresh-baked cookies filled the air, causing a yearning in everyone's stomachs.
- He had a yearning for adventure and decided to go on a road trip.
- She couldn't ignore the yearning in her heart to become a singer.
- The yearning to see his family was the only thing that kept him going during his long journey.
Quotes
There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love. - Washington Irving
Yearning for love made her feel like a flower that was always reaching for the sun. - Unknown
Yearning is the bridge between the two worlds: this world of existence and the world of mystery; intuition is the means of transit. - Rumi