yearning

noun

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

Examples of yearning in a Sentence

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.
There, a wide playing space where our focus could float, softening in the play’s desert air and in the yearning tenderness of its characters, felt exactly right, and Cromer could conduct with more breath, subtle poignancy, and looseness of grip. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025 And its yearning idealism is a good antidote to the current prevailing cynicism. ArsTechnica, 2 Apr. 2025 The ambiguity, the exaltation and sarcastic self-parody, the gloom alternating with a yearning for simplicity and even for redemption—all of that reflected the split consciousness of Jews who could never belong and turned revenge upon themselves. David Denby, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025 This week, Alphonse grapples with the yearning for the 2000s in UK underground rap videos. Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for yearning

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Yearning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yearning. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

yearning

noun
yearn·​ing
: a tender or eager longing

More from Merriam-Webster on yearning

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