Yearn Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary (original) (raw)
Britannica Dictionary definition of YEARN
[no object]
:
to feel a strong desire or wish for something or to do something
- captives yearning for freedom = captives yearning to be free
- People are yearning for a return to normalcy. = People are yearning to return to normalcy.
— yearning
noun,
plural
yearnings
[count]
- She had a yearning to travel. [=she yearned to travel; she had a strong desire to travel]
- our yearnings for peace
suggests a strong desire for something combined with a feeling of sadness.
- They yearn for the day when they can be together again.
and may also suggest a desire for something that you can only get or achieve by working hard or being lucky.
- She longs to be a famous artist.
suggests that you grow weak while continuing to want something that you may never have.
- He pines for his homeland.