longing
noun
long·ing ˈlȯŋ-iŋ 
: a strong desire especially for something unattainable : craving
longingly
ˈlȯŋ-iŋ-lē
adverb 
Synonyms
- appetency
- appetite
- craving
- desire
- drive
- hankering
- hunger
- itch
- jones [slang]
- letch
- lust
- passion
- pining
- thirst
- thirstiness
- urge
- yearning
- yen
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
They looked with longing toward freedom. She cast a look of longing at the shop window. She never told anyone about her secret longings.
Recent Examples on the Web For Leshchenko, the Special Place had become an object of longing, a time that had passed. 
Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2022 Flashing forward to the 1990s, Tom (Linus Roache), Marion (Gina McKee), and Patrick (Rupert Everett) are still reeling with longing and regret, but are faced with one last chance to repair the damage of the past. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 21 July 2022 The singer is definitely skilled at making intoxicating, cathartic songs that wrestle with longing and crushing disappointment. Ilana Kaplan, Rolling Stone, 26 May 2022 This is a piece infused with longing, and it is felt in every interaction between the two boys. Spencer George, Longreads, 28 Apr. 2022 New Orleans was prepared for this moment – not just with a longing for deep belly laughs together in the streets, but with a parallel determination to battle the pandemic. Xander Peters, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Mar. 2022 But despite having lived in Manhattan for 20-plus years, there are things about the Valley that make Wachs’ voice fill with longing. Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2022 Three thousand years, to be honest, means an awful lot of longing. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2022 Off Ayra Starr’s debut album 19 and Dangerous, the single is a melancholy Afropop ballad full of longing for love. Tara Aquino, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2022 See More
Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2022 Flashing forward to the 1990s, Tom (Linus Roache), Marion (Gina McKee), and Patrick (Rupert Everett) are still reeling with longing and regret, but are faced with one last chance to repair the damage of the past. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 21 July 2022 The singer is definitely skilled at making intoxicating, cathartic songs that wrestle with longing and crushing disappointment. Ilana Kaplan, Rolling Stone, 26 May 2022 This is a piece infused with longing, and it is felt in every interaction between the two boys. Spencer George, Longreads, 28 Apr. 2022 New Orleans was prepared for this moment – not just with a longing for deep belly laughs together in the streets, but with a parallel determination to battle the pandemic. Xander Peters, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Mar. 2022 But despite having lived in Manhattan for 20-plus years, there are things about the Valley that make Wachs’ voice fill with longing. Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2022 Three thousand years, to be honest, means an awful lot of longing. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2022 Off Ayra Starr’s debut album 19 and Dangerous, the single is a melancholy Afropop ballad full of longing for love. Tara Aquino, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
longing
noun
long·ing ˈlȯŋ-iŋ
: a very strong desire
longing 1 of 3
noun
as in desire
a strong wish for something by four o'clock in the afternoon, I usually experience a strong longing for chocolate Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- desire
- craving
- thirst
- urge
- hunger
- yearning
- passion
- appetite
- pining
- lust
- hankering
- wish
- itch
- taste
- thirstiness
- compulsion
- yen
- drive
- love
- appetency
- jones
- zeal
- impulse
- need
- eagerness
- impatience
- liking
- letch
- will
- impulsion
- requirement
- weakness
- necessity
- obsession
- want
- greed
- avarice
- acquisitiveness
- greediness
- cupidity
- rapacity
- covetousness
- avidity
- mania
- avariciousness
- rapaciousness
- cacoëthes
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- hatred
- disgust
- revulsion
- loathing
- repulsion
- repugnance
- nausea
- distaste
- aversion
- dislike
- indifference
- abhorrence
- disinclination
- allergy
- abomination
- apathy
- unconcern
- averseness
- disliking
- disfavor
- nonchalance
- insouciance
longing
2 of 3adjective
as in pining
Synonyms & Similar Words
- pining
- craving
- hankering
- covetous
- restless
- ambitious
- obsessed
- happy
- breathless
- appetent
- hung up
- restive
- interested
- eager
- willing
- ready
- anxious
- engaged
- desirous
- game
- hungry
- impatient
- glad
- athirst
- enthusiastic
- excited
- ardent
- disposed
- raring
- thirsty
- antsy
- solicitous
- amenable
- inclined
- avid
- stoked
- enthused
- voracious
- unreluctant
- pumped
- gung ho
- greedy
- agog
- nuts
- great
- keen
- wild
- geeked
- crazy
- juiced
- hepped up
- hot
- hopped-up
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- indifferent
- apathetic
- casual
- unenthusiastic
- uninterested
- nonchalant
- disinterested
- unconcerned
- aloof
- detached
- languid
- unwilling
- insouciant
- reluctant
- incurious
- stolid
- impassive
- uneager
- spiritless
- hesitant
- lackadaisical
- lukewarm
- loath
- halfhearted
- languorous
- averse
- loth
- loathe
- disinclined
longing
3 of 3verb
as in yearning
Synonyms & Similar Words
- yearning
- pining
- agonizing
- fearing
- despairing
- worrying
- troubling
- chafing
- stressing
- sweating
- bothering
- stewing
- fretting
- fussing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- accepting
- enduring
- abiding
- taking
- sustaining
- bearing
- sticking out
- tolerating
- stomaching