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
Go early: Lines typically get longer as the day goes on. Adam Tamburin, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025 For far too long, Democrats have struggled to match the Republican Party’s aggressive, and oftentimes fictional, messaging. Jameelah Nasheed, Essence, 1 Apr. 2025
Adverb
Meta’s legal team added that many creators were initially skeptical of Instagram Reels, a product launched in response to TikTok, because short-form videos tended to monetize significantly less than longer traditional videos. Beatrice Peterson, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2025 Don't wait too long, though; these kinda deals don't last for too long. Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
A little long, Harvard thought, and that wasn’t all. Robert Christgau, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2025 The New Mexico-set drama follows a 14-year-old boy who is the main carer for his sick father and longs to go to party Plan B produced the film with Teorema, the production company of Michel Franco, who is also at the Berlinale with Golden Bear contender Dreams. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 15 Feb. 2025
Verb
But McBean also finds other colors in his character, who longs for his brother’s approval and has his own long-simmering rage. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025 Representing the first use of this metal within the broader GMT-Master collection, its hefty price tag (and weight) pushed it beyond the reach of casual fans who longed for a steel version. Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for long
Recent Examples of Synonyms for long
Adjective
  • Despite looking and feeling like one elongated shot, the episode was actually filmed in four chunks since production could only shoot for about 90 minutes a day.
    Nick Caruso, TVLine, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Finally, the shape of Earth's orbit can change slightly, from more elongated to less elongated (our average distance from the sun doesn't change).
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The assessment was shared this morning in a lengthy report by the influential UK Culture, Media & Sport Committee (CMSC).
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Mah’s legislation called for allowing youths incarcerated for lengthy sentences to be eligible for resentencing by a judge who should take the age and maturity level of the person seeking the resentencing into consideration.
    Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cameron James burned, pined, and perished for Kat's sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) — but was only allowed to date her if Kat found a suitor.
    Danny Horn, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2025
  • This sunscreen is also gently fragranced with chamomile flower oil, gujju pine tree leaf oil, and artemisia wormwood extract for a small dose of refreshing aromatherapy.
    Sarah Han, Allure, 3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The tusk, which is actually an elongated tooth, is mainly found in males and can grow up to 10 feet long.
    Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Chaos is a constant for the outdoor winter sport with single-elimination playoffs that relies on the bounces of an elongated sphere.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • China’s far distance ahead of the U.S. in shipbuilding capabilities along with the countries’ rocky trade relationship have provided the driving subtext throughout the probe, which was spurred on by a petition from five labor unions.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 12 Mar. 2025
  • The dog led them to a mudroom in the far end of the home, next to the kitchen.
    Rick Jervis, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2025
Adverb
  • The children whose lives were changed forever by the bombing were different ages with various backgrounds.
    Jenni Carlson, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • But the facility wasn’t up to snuff for NASCAR to return in 2014 — a product of the facility getting worse with time — and at that point, the racing seemed forever lost.
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Reeling from the past two and a half months of the Trump presidency, lethargic voters nationwide were yearning for change within the Democratic Party.
    Fallon Brannon, Refinery29, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Roberts isn’t the only person yearning for old-school airport greetings and goodbyes.
    The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Sure, things can get dicey in the waning years of some of these decade-plus mega-contracts, but big production is often churned out for an extended period before then.
    Tony Blengino, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The only suspense that remains this season is whether or not Quinn Hughes will break Alex Edler’s franchise record for points by a defenceman in what little time is left before an extended summer begins.
    Thomas Drance, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Long.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/long. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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