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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pining
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of longing
Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
Tell me more about cinema as a place of longing.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
Merve Emre, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for longing
Noun
That premise — built on longing, secrecy, and years of unresolved tension — turns out to be extraordinarily good at generating exactly the kind of emotional investment that sustains fandoms between content drops.
—Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
Tell me more about cinema as a place of longing.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
Adjective
Werther, in his self-delusion, embodies another Goethean type, the longing man—ordinary, but convinced of the extraordinariness of his feelings.
—Merve Emre, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for longing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for longing
Noun
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Being bitten by Pirate Clark may have been a manifestation of Clark's deepest emotional wounds and desires — or maybe the monster just needed a meal.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
-
Each state may implement Clean Slate laws differently, depending on the balance between public safety and the desire for second chances.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Noun
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On the third floor, alongside the hotel's Center Pool, is The Sandbox, a refined poolside restaurant with American coastal dishes that will satisfy any of your poolside cravings.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Researchers found semaglutide led to reductions in alcohol use by some but not all measures, significantly reduced alcohol cravings and led participants to smoke fewer cigarettes.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Starring Elordi and Barry Keoghan, Fennell’s dark comedy about class resentment and covetous destruction was sold on the promise of erotic excess.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
-
For most players, that amount of storage is realistically enough for all but the most covetous data hoarders.—
Matt Kamen,
Wired News,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
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For glowing skin, get the plumping thirst relief facial, which involves a nori algae mask and organic marine products only found at Shangri-La Boracay.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
To quench this thirst, coastal cities from California to the Middle East depend on industrial desalination plants.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
For Pawela, the PB Arts Center partnership will serve as a resource for young, ambitious artists and allow for creativity to take root.—
Madison Beveridge,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
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The pollution limit — or cap — declines each year, reducing the total amount of emissions in the state and helping California reach its ambitious climate targets, including 100% carbon neutrality by 2045.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
In most cases, the urge to leverage technology to get ahead of the digital race doesn't go as planned, and this was no exception.—
Hari Sonnenahalli,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
However, resist the urge to apply heavy fertilizers.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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All the junior right-hander had to do was retire Arvada West’s Levi Lueck with the tying runs in scoring position and nobody in the restless crowd sitting at All-Star Park.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
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Based in New Orleans and Paris, Eloueini Architecture is celebrated for designing houses that fold, twist, stagger and float with a restless energy that belies the simplicity of their forms.—
Fred Albert,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Ancient ruins deliver on that hunger like little else.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
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In her work with zebra finches, Elie has categorized 11 of the birds’ calls, linking them to distinct meanings such as hunger, danger, bonding and social conflict.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Longing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/longing. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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