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longing definition

long·ing (lôŋ′iŋ)

noun

strong desire; yearning

Etymology: see long

adjective

feeling or showing a yearning

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

longing Synonyms

longing

modif.

wanting, desirous, ravenous; see enthusiastic 2.


longing

n.

yearning, pining, hunger; see desire 1, wish 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

longing Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • soul: We have confidence because freedom is the permanent hope of mankind, the hunger in dark places, the longing of the soul.

Converse of object

  • satisfy: Get this: more of anything other than God, will never satisfy the longing He's placed within you.

Preposition: for

  • peace: Johann Christoph Arnold tells their stories, building his book on the premise that the longing for peace lies deep within every person.

Adjective modifier

  • wistful: Faith is not a wistful longing, or a blind confidence, or even " inward conviction.

Modifies a noun

  • glance: Despite class differences, their awkward conversations and longing glances leave little doubt such sculptured cheekbones are destined to be together.
longing usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

longing quotes

It must be soöPlato, thou reason'st well!ö Else whence this pleasing hope, this fond desire, This longing after immortality? Or whence this secret dread, and inward horror, Of falling into naught? Why shrinks the soul Back on herself, and startles at destruction 'Tis the divinity that stirs within us; 'Tis heaven itself, that points out an hereafter, And intimates eternity to man. Eternity! thou pleasing, dreadful thought!

-Addison,Joseph

   Come to me in my dreams, and then By day I shall be well again! For then the night will more than pay The hopeless longing of the day.

-Arnold, Matthew

La parole humaine est comme un chaudron fe"  le¤   o  u' nous battons des me¤  lodies a'   faire danser les ours, quand on voudrait attendrir les e¤  toiles. Human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we beat out tunes for bears to dance to, when all the time we are longing to move the stars to pity.

-Flaubert, Gustave

longing quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"longing." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/longing>

APA Style

longing. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/longing

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