View synonyms for yearn

yearn

[ yurn ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used without object)

to have an earnest or strong desire; long:
to yearn for a quiet vacation.
to feel tenderness; be moved or attracted:
They yearned over their delicate child.

yearn

/ jɜːn /

verb

usually foll byfor or after or an infinitive to have an intense desire or longing (for); pine (for)
to feel tenderness or affection

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Derived Forms

ˈyearner, noun

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Other Words From

yearner noun
un·yearned adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of yearn¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English yernen, Old English giernan derivative of georn “eager”; akin to Old Norse girna “to desire,” Greek chaírein “to rejoice,” Sanskrit háryati “(he) desires”

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Word History and Origins

Origin of yearn¹

Old English giernan; related to Old Saxon girnian, Old Norse girna, Gothic gairnjan, Old High German gerōn to long for, Sanskrit haryati he likes

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Synonym Study

Yearn, long, hanker, pine all mean to feel a powerful desire for something. Yearn stresses the depth and passionateness of a desire: to yearn to get away and begin a new life; to yearn desperately for recognition. Long implies a wholehearted desire for something that is or seems unattainable: to long to relive one's childhood; to long for the warmth of summer. Hanker suggests a restless or incessant craving to fulfill some urge or desire: to hanker for a promotion; to hanker after fame and fortune. Pine adds the notion of physical or emotional suffering as a result of the real or apparent hopelessness of one's desire: to pine for one's native land; to pine for a lost love.

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Example Sentences

We yearn to help, to provide support, to offer comfort; but what verbal or texted response can possibly be sufficient in the face of such devastating loss?

From Los Angeles Times

What a dream job means for Musselman has changed considerably since he started coaching, yearning to make it to the NBA.

From Los Angeles Times

So it wasn’t long before my yearning for partnership again started kicking in.

From Los Angeles Times

He was released by Palace at 18 and, via false dawns and broken promises, spent four years travelling the world, trialling in 14 different countries, yearning for a professional contract.

From BBC

We all, from day one to the final one, yearn to be accepted somehow, some way.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

Yearly Meeting yearning

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