long 1 of 4

long

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adverb

long

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noun

long

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word long distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of long are hanker, hunger, pine, thirst, and yearn. While all these words mean "to have a strong desire for something," long implies a wishing with one's whole heart and often a striving to attain.

longed for some rest

When would hanker be a good substitute for long?

Although the words hanker and long have much in common, hanker suggests the uneasy promptings of unsatisfied appetite or desire.

always hankering for money

How are the words hunger and thirst related as synonyms of long?

Both hunger and thirst imply an insistent or impatient craving or a compelling need.

hungered for a business of his own
thirsted for power

When can pine be used instead of long?

The meanings of pine and long largely overlap; however, pine implies a languishing or a fruitless longing for what is impossible.

pined for a lost love

When is it sensible to use yearn instead of long?

The words yearn and long are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, yearn suggests an eager, restless, or painful longing.

yearned for a stage career

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of long
Adjective
So, please, let it be recognized in all quarters that over the course of those eight long years Ronald Reagan had fired a thousand shots — even if none of them had been mounted atop a ballistic missile headed for downtown Moscow. Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 11 Feb. 2025 During her long tenure in District 181, the scope of responsibilities and additional facets of teaching have dramatically changed, Pelak said. Chuck Fieldman, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025
Adverb
But the most significant factor was steeping time: the longer the steeping time, the more toxic metals were adsorbed. Ars Technica, 25 Feb. 2025 Workers at the five-year-old warehouse in the city of Garner will vote through Friday to join or reject the upstart Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment, or CAUSE, which seeks to push Amazon for higher wages, longer breaks and more scheduling flexibility, among other things. Greg Bensinger, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025
Noun
The most significant is that this is a collection of songs that pay homage to the history of Puerto Rico, the homeland of its architect, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, who, after several years away, longs to return home. Joan Escutia, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2025 Coming in at just one-minute long, the clip first shared to K. Dot’s official YouTube page begins with the camera entering a large room featuring two cars on either side and what appears to be a large skylight resembling a portal between them. Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 22 Nov. 2024
Verb
Thousands of children in Illinois remain in foster care with the goal of adoption — kids longing for stability in a world that has often failed them. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025 This was followed by a reading of Psalm 42, a lament about an isolated believer who is longing for God’s presence. NBC News, 27 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for long
Recent Examples of Synonyms for long
Adjective
  • However, as the comet recedes from the sun, planetary perturbations will make the orbit even more elongated, so the next return to perihelion (of whatever of it is that is still left of it) will be about 600,000 years hence.
    Joe Rao, Space.com, 27 Jan. 2025
  • Another catchy song with elongated, ethereal harmonies that capture the temptation of infidelity.
    Bryan West, The Tennessean, 18 Apr. 2024
Adjective
  • While Trump aims to bring those supply chains onto American shores, the pandemic showed how disruptions and lengthy adjustments can produce more persistent inflation pressure.
    Howard Schneider, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Republicans rebuffed more than two dozen Democratic amendments during the all-night vote-a-rama, a lengthy amendment process that's part of Senate procedure for reconciliation.
    Nick Sobczyk, Axios, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, the two NASA astronauts who rode to the cosmos months ago on a Boeing Starliner spacecraft, aren't really spending their days pining to return to Earth.
    Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
  • Christine Baumgartner is not pining over her ex-husband, Kevin Costner.
    Sophie Hessekiel, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Some feature high waists to elongate legs or pleats to conjure old-school élan worthy of Cary Grant.
    Charlie Teasdale, WSJ, 21 Nov. 2023
  • The fragment, which was cleaved from its fecal parent with a pair of wire cutters, resembles a chunk of light-colored concrete with darker, elongate inclusions that Chin recognizes as bone.
    Karen Wright, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Adjective
  • Then Kristiansen was slow to retreat into position and snuff out the danger at the far post as Merino scored the second on the counter.
    Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
  • Killorn proceeded to the dot and launched a shot off the far post and in for his 11th goal of the campaign.
    Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 2 Feb. 2025
Adverb
  • If Ukraine cedes land to Russia to end the war, as the Trump administration has signaled it might, many Ukrainians feel they will be stranded forever.
    Yan Zhuang, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025
  • For this reason, taking forever is not always intentional, explains Sara F. Douglas, PsD, a neuropsychologist specializing in the assessment of the learning, emotional, and behavioral profiles of children, adolescents, and adults.
    Sherri Gordon, Parents, 17 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The stay-at-home mom who yearns to go back to work, but can’t afford to pay for child care.
    Reshma Saujani, Glamour, 18 Feb. 2025
  • When Women Channeled the Dead to be Heard Spiritualism was one of the nineteenth-century's most successful religious innovations, a movement of individuals who yearned for a religion which united mysticism and science.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The extended runway that Americans often get means fewer talented goalies will be lost in the shuffle.
    Jesse Granger, The Athletic, 15 Feb. 2025
  • Half a foot of precipitation could fallin the high-risk area where heavier bouts of rain essentially get stuck for an extended period.
    Mary Gilbert, CNN, 15 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Long.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/long. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.

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