hanker

verb

han·​ker ˈhaŋ-kər 

hankered; hankering ˈhaŋ-k(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

: to have a strong or persistent desire : yearn

—often used with for or after

hankerer

ˈhaŋ-kər-ər 

noun

Synonyms

• ache (for)
• covet
• crave
• desiderate
• desire
• die (for)
• hunger (for)
• itch (for)
• jones (for) [slang]
• long (for)
• lust (for or after)
• pant (after)
• pine (for)
• repine (for)
• salivate (for)
• sigh (for)
• thirst (for)
• want
• wish (for)
• yearn (for)
• yen (for)

Choose the Right Synonym for hanker

long, yearn, hanker, pine, hunger, thirst 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

yearn suggests an eager, restless, or painful longing.

yearned for a stage career

hanker suggests the uneasy promptings of unsatisfied appetite or desire.

always hankering for money

pine implies a languishing or a fruitless longing for what is impossible.

pined for a lost love

hunger and thirst imply an insistent or impatient craving or a compelling need.

hungered for a business of his own

thirsted for power

Examples of hanker in a Sentence

By the middle of the winter, they were hankering for a warm day.

Recent Examples on the Web

Since opening in the eclectic Kensington Market neighborhood in 2022, this buzzy spot has packed its mint green booths with crowds hankering for a spicy, family-style feast. —Ingrid K. Williams, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024

In Congress, Trump and Republicans are already hankering to cut more taxes and slash the social safety net. —Dylan Scott, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

Smart parents know that when there are two hungry kids hankering for the last cookie, separation of powers looks like this: One sibling makes the cut, and the other picks the first slice. —David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Never hankering for the ideal or the perfect, Nikolai, in the end, achieves something essential: human possibility. —Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably from Dutch dialect hankeren

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

hanker

verb

han·​ker ˈhaŋ-kər 

hankered; hankering -k(ə-)riŋ 

: to have an eager or continual desire

hanker after fame

hankerer

-kər-ər 

noun