Synonyms of yearn

yearn

verb

as in to long

Synonyms & Similar Words

• long
• pine
• agonize
• fear
• worry
• bother
• despair
• trouble
• chafe
• stress
• sweat
• fret
• stew
• fuss

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accept
• take
• endure
• sustain
• tolerate
• abide
• bear
• stick out
• stomach

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

Recent Examples of yearn

After about 36 months of President Biden, in other words, people yearn for the halcyon Trump years. —Rich Lowry, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025

Investors have been yearning for a new mass-market model from the company to reinvigorate sales. —Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2025

Pass through the hall of forest kings, hidden deep from hunter's gaze, standing tall two guards of stone, behind whom yearned for treasure lays. —Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025

So much of Lynch’s work is about dreams and about the things that people subconsciously desire or fear or yearn for, and so many of those things are also expressed through songs. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 24 Jan. 2025