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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pining
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 longing
Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 22 Nov. 2024
There’s a longing to flick on the floodlights at shuttered schools, though their kids are well into adulthood and the small children who once horse-played along their streets have faded into a distant past.
—Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press, 27 Nov. 2024
The song is a longing for something that has been broken, and the want to put back together.
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024
All historians learn to live with the longing to know what’s vanished, but surely historians of the senses are in pursuit of the most transient of all: the archaic sensorium.
—Michelle Weber, Longreads, 15 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for longing 
Noun
Aquarius January 20 – February 18 Your longing for privacy is probably strong at present.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 22 Nov. 2024
There’s a longing to flick on the floodlights at shuttered schools, though their kids are well into adulthood and the small children who once horse-played along their streets have faded into a distant past.
—Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press, 27 Nov. 2024
The song is a longing for something that has been broken, and the want to put back together.
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024
All historians learn to live with the longing to know what’s vanished, but surely historians of the senses are in pursuit of the most transient of all: the archaic sensorium.
—Michelle Weber, Longreads, 15 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for longing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for longing
Noun
-
Before leaving Hawaii, Kobayashi had expressed a desire to disconnect from modern technology, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.Amanda Musa, CNN, 15 Dec. 2024
-
But absent a dedicated desire to solve them, they could be viewed as tediously boring compared to leading the nation on sweeping national issues and global diplomacy.George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
But this craving for visibility was precariously perched atop fears for his own sanity.Michael S. Roth, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2024
-
While digital may dominate, there’s still a deep craving for in-person experiences that offer something special.Stephan Schambach, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Though covetous of certain products, trends surrounding brands are often a flash in the pan, according to Casey Lewis, Gen Z consumer analyst and author of the viral After School newsletter.BYSasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2024
-
All regard Cuba with the covetous memories of former lovers—longing mingled with knowledge of the island’s practical side, its transactionalism.Jon Lee Anderson, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021
Noun
-
Humanity’s long history of division continues, but so, too, does its beauty, creativity and thirst for meaning.Jason Rudy, Baltimore Sun, 8 Dec. 2024
-
This test can identify a higher risk of the disease before symptoms like extreme thirst or fatigue appear.2 Having a single autoantibody means a higher risk of type 1 diabetes, while having two or more autoantibodies may indicate the condition has already begun to develop.Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Concord was PlayStation's ambitious triple-A hero shooter that never lived long enough to amass a large player base.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024
-
Given that circumstance, Katz said, an ambitious institution such as Williams College, located in a tiny town in Massachusetts three hours from Boston and New York City, has no choice but to hire partners to compete for the best faculty.Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
This time around, the reflexive urge to publish was stifled.Andrew Wallenstein, Variety, 11 Dec. 2024
-
But along with generosity, disasters also bring out fraudsters ready to exploit these charitable urges.William P. Barrett, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Recalling Lyme disease and other issues In July of 2018, Mangione posted online about health issues, including having restless sleep.Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024
-
Related Video Jennie Reveals How Cold-Plunging Loosens Up Her Muscles and Opens Up Her Mind By 2020, Waight Keller had begun to grow restless at Givenchy.Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
The younger Blanchard says her hunger for family bonding pre-dates her incarceration.Scarlett Harris, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024
-
Perseverance is also key; hunger may be challenging at first.Matt Fuchs, TIME, 9 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near longing
Cite this Entry
“Longing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/longing. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share