English Explanatory Dictionary

yearn

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To have a strong desire for something or to do something; to long for or to do something.
  2. To long for something in the past with melancholy or nostalgia.
  3. Of music, words, etc.: to express strong desire or longing.
  4. To have strong feelings of affection, love, sympathy, etc., toward someone.
  5. To be distressed or pained; to grieve; to mourn.
  6. Often followed by out: to perform (music) which conveys or say (words) which express strong desire or longing.
  7. To have a strong desire or longing (for something or to do something).
  8. To cause (someone) to have strong feelings of affection, love, sympathy, etc.; also, to grieve or pain (someone).
noun
  1. A strong desire or longing; a yearning, a yen.
verb
  1. Of milk: to curdle, especially in the cheesemaking process.
  2. Of cheese: to be made from curdled milk.
  3. To curdle (milk), especially in the cheesemaking process.
  4. To make (cheese) from curdled milk.

Pronunciation

/jɜːn/ yûrn /jɝn/ En-us-yearn.ogg

Word forms

yearn yearns yearning yearned yearnt no-table-tags glossary yearnest yearnedst yearneth

Etymology

The verb is derived from Middle English yernen, yern (“to express or feel desire; to desire, long or wish for; to lust after; to ask or demand for”) [and other forms], from Old English ġeornan (“to desire, yearn; to beg”) [and other forms], from Proto-West Germanic *girnijan (“to be eager for, desire”), from Proto-Germanic *girnijaną (“to desire, want”), from *gernaz (“eager, willing”) (from Proto-Indo-European *gʰer- (“to yearn for”)) + *-janą (suffix forming factitive verbs from adjectives). The noun is derived from the verb.

Synonyms

pant salivate earn lust urge ache appetency appetite craving hankering hunger impulse itch jones letch lickerish longing pining thirst yearning yen run

Derived words

yearner yearnful yearning yearnly yearnsome yearny

Translations

Arabic: تَاقَ Arabic: اِشْتَاقَ Belarusian: нудзі́цца Belarusian: сумава́ць Belarusian: тужы́ць Bulgarian: копне́я Bulgarian: жадувам Catalan: anhelar Catalan: ansiejar Cebuano: hidlaw Chinese Mandarin: 想念 Chinese Mandarin: 思念 Chinese Mandarin: 盼念 Chinese Mandarin: 向往 Czech: toužit Czech: prahnout Czech: bažit Danish: længte til Danish: længte efter Dutch: smachten Dutch: zuchten Dutch: verlangen (naar) Esperanto: sopiri Finnish: kaivata Finnish: haikailla French: languir Galician: devecer Galician: degorar Galician: halar Galician: arelar Galician: eslumecer Galician: aguciar Georgian: ლტოლვა Georgian: სწრაფვა Georgian: მისწრაფება German: sich sehnen German: verlangen German: vermissen Greek: επιθυμώ Greek: λαχταρώ Ancient Greek: ὁμείρομαι Ancient Greek: ποθέω Hebrew: השתוקק Hebrew: כמה Hungarian: sóvárog Hungarian: vágyódik Italian: bramare Japanese: 憧れる Japanese: 恋い慕う Japanese: 切望する Korean: 동경하다 Korean: 그리워하다 Latin: dēsīderō Māori: kohekohe Occitan: cobejar Occitan: desirar Portuguese: ansiar Romanian: dori Romanian: jindui Romanian: tânji Russian: скуча́ть Russian: тоскова́ть Russian: жа́ждать Russian: стреми́ться Russian: тужи́ть Serbo-Croatian: че̏знути Serbo-Croatian: жу́дјети Serbo-Croatian: жу́дети Serbo-Croatian: čȅznuti Serbo-Croatian: žúdjeti Serbo-Croatian: žúdeti Spanish: anhelar Spanish: desear Spanish: ansiar Spanish: añorar Spanish: desperecerse Spanish: acezar Swedish: längta till Swedish: längta tillbaka till Swedish: längta efter Turkish: özlemek Turkish: hislenmek Ukrainian: тужи́ти Ukrainian: скуча́ти Ukrainian: нудьгува́ти Ukrainian: нуди́тися Welsh: dyheu Yiddish: בענקען
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