YEARN Synonyms: 23 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Some common synonyms of yearn are hanker , hunger , long , pine , and thirst . While all these words mean "to have a strong desire for something," yearn suggests an eager, restless, or painful longing. // yearned for a stage career

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

The synonyms hanker and yearn are sometimes interchangeable, but 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 'yearn'?

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 could 'long' be used to replace 'yearn'?

Although the words long and yearn have much in common, long implies a wishing with one's whole heart and often a striving to attain. // longed for some rest

Q: When might 'pine' be a better fit than 'yearn'?

The words pine and yearn can be used in similar contexts, but pine implies a languishing or a fruitless longing for what is impossible. // pined for a lost love

yearn

verb

Definition of yearn next

as in to long

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word yearn distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of yearn are hanker, hunger, long, pine, and thirst. While all these words mean "to have a strong desire for something," yearn suggests an eager, restless, or painful longing.

yearned for a stage career

Where would hanker be a reasonable alternative to yearn?

The synonyms hanker and yearn are sometimes interchangeable, but 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 yearn?

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 could long be used to replace yearn?

Although the words long and yearn have much in common, long implies a wishing with one's whole heart and often a striving to attain.

longed for some rest

When might pine be a better fit than yearn?

The words pine and yearn can be used in similar contexts, but pine implies a languishing or a fruitless longing for what is impossible.

pined for a lost love

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 yearn That type of energy is what some people yearn for. —

Shakeia Taylor, New York Times, 29 May 2026 After 1763, Pontiac and many others yearned to create a strong community and to assert the independence of Indigenous nations. —

Literary Hub, 26 May 2026 The people yearn for love centered around a violent, icy sport. —

Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 26 May 2026 The Miami Marlins have been yearning for some semblance of consistency from Eury Perez this season. —

Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 23 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for yearn

Recent Examples of Synonyms for yearn

Verb

Despite the loss of car dealers, many University Avenue advocates have longed for greater density to boost vitality and foot traffic, rather than long, linear, single-story development.

— Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 8 June 2026
People who long for community after a traumatic experience.

— Shyla Watson, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026

Definition of long

Verb

In the 1960s, an interracial couple encounter aliens, and a sci-fi author writes pining letters to her lover.

— Caroline Killilea, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
However, thousands of years of genetic isolation have made the island pine a distinct subspecies, according to the National Park Service.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026

Definition of pine

Browse Nearby Words

yearly

yearn

yearned

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Yearn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yearn. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of yearn

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on yearn

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

deepfake

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes