The yearning definition is a strong, deep and often tender feeling of wanting something or someone you cannot easily have. A student studying abroad who smells cardamom in a shop and suddenly misses her mother's kitchen feels a yearning for home.
Yearning is more than an ordinary wish. It usually lasts, you can feel it physically, like a tug in the chest, and it often carries some sadness because the thing longed for is distant, lost or not yet possible. That mix of desire and ache is what makes the word so common in poems, letters and songs about love and home.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
A deep, lasting longing, often tinged with sadnessPart of speech
Noun (a yearning); also adjective (a yearning look); from the verb yearnPronunciation
YUR-ning, like earning with a y in frontWord forms
yearn, yearns, yearned, yearninglyOrigin
Old English gierning, from the verb giernan, to desire, strive forClose words
longing, craving, pining, hankeringRegister
Emotional and somewhat literary, but fine in speech
The yearning meaning in everyday language
A yearning is a want that pulls at you. It is usually aimed at something absent: a person who is far away or gone, a place you left, a time that has passed, or a future you dream about, such as a yearning for freedom or a quiet life in the hills.
Three features set it apart from plain wanting:
- Depth: it is felt strongly, not as a passing fancy.
- Duration: it tends to stay with you for a while.
- Distance: the object is out of reach, which adds a note of sadness or tenderness.
Yearn, yearning and yearningly
The verb is yearn. It usually takes for with a noun or to with a verb: "He yearns for the sea", "She yearned to travel". The noun yearning takes for as well: "a yearning for justice". As an adjective, yearning describes a look or tone full of longing: "a yearning glance at the dessert counter". The adverb is yearningly, which is correct but rare.
Natural pairings include a deep yearning, a quiet yearning, a spiritual yearning, a yearning to belong and a yearning for home.
Old English roots
Yearning is a very old English word. It goes back to Old English gierning, a noun formed from the verb giernan, which meant to strive, desire, seek or even beg. Cousins of the word survive across the Germanic family, for instance German gern, gladly, and begehren, to desire. By Middle English the forms yernen and yerning carried the sense we know today: a longing or eager desire.
Example sentences
- After ten years in the city, he felt a yearning for the slow mornings of his village.
- Her letters to her husband overseas were full of yearning.
- Many teenagers have a yearning to be understood by their parents.
- The puppy gave a yearning look at the sandwich in my hand.
- Some people describe faith as a yearning for something larger than themselves.
Yearning definition compared with longing, craving and more
| Word | Shade |
|---|---|
| Yearning | Deep, tender, often sad desire for something far off |
| Longing | Very close to yearning; slightly plainer |
| Craving | Urgent, physical want, as for food or a habit |
| Pining | Wasting away with longing; often for a lost love |
| Hankering | Informal; a nagging wish, often for something small |
| Nostalgia | Wistful affection for the past specifically |
| Limerence | Obsessive romantic longing for one person |
Yearning can sit near melancholy, but it is directed: you yearn for something, while melancholy can be a mood without a clear object. The opposite state might be contentment or satisfaction.
Common mistakes
Do not confuse yearning with earning (getting money for work) or yawning. The spelling has ea: y-e-a-r-n-i-n-g. Also avoid "yearning about"; the usual preposition is for. Our emotions and character words hub collects more terms for inner life.
Frequently asked questions
Is yearning a positive or negative feeling?
It is a mix. Yearning shows how much something matters to you, which can feel warm or hopeful. It also contains pain, because what you want is out of reach.
What is the difference between yearning and longing?
They are near twins. Yearning often sounds a little deeper and more emotional, while longing is slightly more everyday. In most sentences you could swap them.
Can you yearn for a person?
Yes. You can yearn for someone who is far away, who has died or whom you love but cannot be with. This is probably its most familiar use.
How do you pronounce yearning?
Say YUR-ning. It rhymes with learning and burning.
Is yearning a verb?
Yearning is the -ing form of the verb yearn, so it can act as a verb (she is yearning for rest). It also works as a noun and an adjective.
What is spiritual yearning?
It is a deep desire for meaning, connection or the sacred. People of many traditions describe prayer or meditation as answering such a yearning.