Yearning
noun / verb /ˈjɜː.nɪŋ/ — An intense, deep longing
Definition
A deep and intense longing — the particular quality of wanting something with a depth that goes beyond ordinary desire. Yearning has duration and weight; it persists.
Beyond the definition
Desire that has become a condition. A yearning is not a moment of wanting — it is a sustained state of need that runs underneath ordinary life and colours everything else.
Origin & history
From Old English 'giernan' (to desire, yearn) — from 'georn' (eager, desirous). Related to 'eager' through Proto-Germanic roots. The Germanic version of desire.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She had a yearning for the sea that she could never fully explain — not for any particular sea, but for the idea of it.
There is a yearning at the heart of most great art — the sense of something the work is reaching toward without quite arriving.
Some people carry a yearning for their lives to mean something that functions as a kind of background noise.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Yearning” when the meaning fits your context: A deep and intense longing — the particular quality of wanting something with a depth that goes beyond ordinary desire. Yearning has duration and weight; it persists.
Synonyms
Antonyms
contentment, satisfaction, indifference
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Tension Across the Room
Two individuals stand at opposite sides of a room, hesitating, with their bodies tilted toward each other in unspoken wish.
The sustained focus and the space between them reveal a deep, persistent, and intense desire that has weight and duration, representing the concept of yearning.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Yearning" mean?
Yearning is noun / verb meaning: An intense, deep longing. A deep and intense longing — the particular quality of wanting something with a depth that goes beyond ordinary desire. Yearning has duration and weight; it persists.
Where does the word "Yearning" come from?
From Old English 'giernan' (to desire, yearn) — from 'georn' (eager, desirous). Related to 'eager' through Proto-Germanic roots. The Germanic version of desire.