HANKER (FOR OR AFTER) Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'hanker' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of hanker are hunger , long , pine , thirst , and yearn . While all these words mean "to have a strong desire for something," hanker suggests the uneasy promptings of unsatisfied appetite or desire. // always hankering for money

Q: How are the words 'hunger' and 'thirst' related as synonyms of 'hanker'?

Both hunger and thirst imply an insistent or impatient craving or a compelling need. // hungered for a business of his own // thirsted for power

Q: When can 'long' be used instead of 'hanker'?

While the synonyms long and hanker are close in meaning, long implies a wishing with one's whole heart and often a striving to attain. // longed for some rest

Q: When is it sensible to use 'pine' instead of 'hanker'?

Although the words pine and hanker have much in common, pine implies a languishing or a fruitless longing for what is impossible. // pined for a lost love

Q: Where would 'yearn' be a reasonable alternative to 'hanker'?

The synonyms yearn and hanker are sometimes interchangeable, but yearn suggests an eager, restless, or painful longing. // yearned for a stage career

hanker (for or after)

verb

ˈhaŋ-kər

Definition of hanker (for or after) next

as in to crave

to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy hankering for some company in his lonely mountain cabin hanker after a life of leisure

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How is the word hanker distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of hanker are hunger, long, pine, thirst, and yearn. While all these words mean "to have a strong desire for something," 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 hanker?

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 long be used instead of hanker?

While the synonyms long and hanker are close in meaning, long implies a wishing with one's whole heart and often a striving to attain.

longed for some rest

When is it sensible to use pine instead of hanker?

Although the words pine and hanker have much in common, pine implies a languishing or a fruitless longing for what is impossible.

pined for a lost love

Where would yearn be a reasonable alternative to hanker?

The synonyms yearn and hanker are sometimes interchangeable, but yearn suggests an eager, restless, or painful longing.

yearned for a stage career

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hanker (for or after)

Verb

The Ravens went into this draft with obvious needs — interior offensive linemen, pass-catching targets and edge rusher being the most glaring — but what DeCosta craved most of all was a return to the team’s hard-nosed roots.

— Michael Silver, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
The nontraditional scoring method being used at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic has created the sort of turmoil on the leaderboard that the organizers craved to set it apart.

— Stan Awtrey, AJC.com, 26 Apr. 2026

Definition of crave

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.

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hanker (for or after)

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“Hanker (for or after).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hanker%20%28for%20or%20after%29. Accessed 3 May. 2026.

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Synonyms of hanker (for or after)

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