yearning

1 of 2

noun

yearn·​ing ˈyər-niŋ How to pronounce yearning (audio)
Synonyms of yearning
: a tender or urgent longing
a yearning for justice

yearning

2 of 2

present participle of yearn

Synonyms of yearning

Relevance

Noun

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Examples of yearning in a Sentence

Noun had a sudden yearning for something sweet
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Not merely due to sympathy for the tweens, nor from projecting some future time when the unerasable archive of this yearning might prove embarrassing. — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 The intensity of their yearning has only increased on their second album, Nature’s Pill—and that’s no easy feat, considering this is a band whose breakout track opens with the narrator prostrating himself before the object of his affection. — Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 14 Oct. 2026 With nearly 100,000 videos made to its official audio, the mid-tempo ballad has become a user favorite for soundtracking TV edits, clips of romantic yearning, and videos capturing the changing seasons. — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026 Two Black men are rendered in graphite, eyes closed, mouths open with yearning, disclosing sighs of ecstasy or prayer. — Jane Bua, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for yearning

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of yearning was before the 12th century

Rhymes for yearning

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Browse Nearby Words

yearnful
yearning
yearningly
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Cite this Entry

“Yearning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yearning. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

yearning

noun
yearn·​ing
: a tender or eager longing
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