Synonyms for yearning

Most common

desire · craving · longing · pining

All synonyms

Noun

Definitions

1. n. 1

   A wistful or melancholy longing.

   She had a yearning to see her long-lost sister again.

Related words

Word family

yearn

Forms

Plural

yearnings → longings, desires, pinings, cravings…

Example sentences

• desire It is true that we desire to live in a small town.
• craving I am always craving new knowledge about anything.
• longing He never lost his whimsical longing for adventure.
• pining When Donald became famous, all girls were pining for him.

Popularity over time

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters

yen¹

4 letters

urge¹

6 letters

desire³, thirst¹, pining²

7 letters

craving², longing²

8 letters

appetite³

9 letters

eagerness³, hankering³

10 letters

aspiration⁴, hungriness

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (desire³ = 3 syllables).