LONGING Synonyms: 170 Similar and Opposite Words

longing 1 of 3

noun

ˈlȯŋ-iŋ

Definition of longing

as in desire

a strong wish for something by four o'clock in the afternoon, I usually experience a strong longing for chocolate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

longing

2 of 3

adjective

as in pining

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

longing

3 of 3

verb

present participle of long

as in yearning

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 longing

Noun

Emery and Miller decided to start Very Good Video Store after seeing the video store industry fade and longing for the old media devices and the joy that came with watching movies on them. — Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 5 Aug. 2026 Gen Zs — who are too young to have ever logged onto the site — joined in the collective longing too. — Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2026

Adjective

Werther, in his self-delusion, embodies another Goethean type, the longing man—ordinary, but convinced of the extraordinariness of his feelings. — Merve Emre, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for longing

Recent Examples of Synonyms for longing

Noun

Emery’s desire to blood Madjo early was ultimately reflected in picking him to start ahead of Tammy Abraham — who the club are willing to listen to offers for — in Salzburg.

— Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Modern food consumption is also a good example of how abundance doesn’t necessarily eliminate the desire for luxury.

— Preston Fore, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of desire

Adjective

Starring Elordi and Barry Keoghan, Fennell’s dark comedy about class resentment and covetous destruction was sold on the promise of erotic excess.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2026
For most players, that amount of storage is realistically enough for all but the most covetous data hoarders.

— Matt Kamen, Wired News, 3 Aug. 2025

Definition of covetous

Noun

For kiddos and adults, fruit serves as a healthy alternative to candy, delivering vitamins, fiber, and hydration while satisfying sweet cravings.

— Sierra Leone Starks, Parents, 10 Aug. 2026
Ostensibly, GLP-1s don’t just quiet the appetite but also impact broader cravings.

— Jesse M. Pines, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of craving

Adjective

The change could reshape one of the most ambitious AI infrastructure projects in the US.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
Hathaway tells them to be ambitious and creative, and the designers do have a bigger budget of $700, but once again, only one day.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of ambitious

Noun

Still, symptoms can accompany the condition, Rao explains, including fatigue, swelling in the legs or ankles, shortness of breath, frequent urination, increased thirst, or chest discomfort.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
While spit-shining his boots one day in the fall of 1958, Simeon declared to a local reporter his thirst to regain power abroad.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of thirst

Adjective

Jackass is for the 12-year-old boy within us all, one that’s a little bit rowdy and a little bit restless and a little bit destructive, but still sort of innocent about it all.

— Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
His work thrives on the incoherence of his own restless curiosity.

— Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of restless

Noun

However, holding pee for a long period of time and ignoring the urge to go might increase the risk of certain problems, such as urinary tract infections.

— Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 14 Aug. 2026
Our research team found that, in abstaining mice, this urge to drink is preceded by changes in the activity of a particular brain region, pointing to potential new screening opportunities to identify and help those most vulnerable to relapse.

— Marie Doyle, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of urge

Adjective

But while ripoffs and dodgy reboots are common in horror, some of the weirdest unauthorized sequels are the result of an obsessed fan self-financing a tribute to their favorite movie.

— Katie Rife, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026
Although my daughter became obsessed with Full House years ago, her experience was radically different from mine.

— Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 31 July 2026

Definition of obsessed

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“Longing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/longing. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of longing

noun

adjective

verb

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