yearn
Pronounced:
/ˈjɚn/
Function:
verbInflected forms:
yearns; yearned; yearn·ingMeaning:
[no obj] : to feel a strong desire or wish for something or to do something ▪ captives yearning for freedom = captives yearning to be free ▪ People are yearning for a return to normalcy. = People are yearning to return to normalcy.
—yearn·ing /ˈjɚnɪŋ/ noun plural yearn·ings [count] ▪ She had a yearning to travel. [=she yearned to travel; she had a strong desire to travel] ▪ our yearnings for peace
/ˈjɚnɪŋ/ noun plural yearn·ings [count] ▪ She had a yearning to travel. [=she yearned to travel; she had a strong desire to travel] ▪ our yearnings for peacesynonyms yearn, long, and pine mean to want something very much. yearn suggests a strong desire for something combined with a feeling of sadness. ▪ They yearn for the day when they can be together again. long is used like yearn and may also suggest a desire for something that you can only get or achieve by working hard or being lucky. ▪ She longs to be a famous artist. pine suggests that you grow weak while continuing to want something that you may never have. ▪ He pines for his homeland.