Definition

Noun A feeling of sadness, longing, or emotional distress caused by being away from one's home, familiar surroundings, or country.

Usage

"Homesickness" is an uncountable noun. It describes a state of mind or a persistent emotional condition. It is often experienced by people who have moved to a new place, such as students living away at university, individuals relocating for work, or travelers on extended trips.

Examples

• Many first-year university students experience intense homesickness during their first few weeks on campus.
• After moving abroad, a wave of homesickness hit her when she smelled a familiar food from her country.
• He tried to combat his homesickness by calling his family every day and putting up photos of home.

Advanced Usage

• "to be stricken with homesickness": To be suddenly and powerfully affected by a longing for home.
  • While on her year-long exchange program, she was often stricken with homesickness.
• "pangs of homesickness": Sudden, sharp feelings of missing home.
  • He felt pangs of homesickness when he saw a family having a picnic together.

Variants and Related Words

• Homesick (adjective): Experiencing a longing for home.
  • The homesick child wrote letters to his parents every week.

Synonyms

• Nostalgia (can be broader, encompassing a longing for the past in general)
• Longing
• Yearning

Antonyms

• Wanderlust (a strong desire to travel and explore new places)

Noun

1. a longing to return home