longing

/'lɔɳiɳ/

Thân thiện

She felt a deep longing for her childhood home.

Definition

Noun: A strong, persistent, and often melancholic desire for something that is absent, unattainable, or in the past. It implies a deep emotional yearning.

Usage

"Longing" is used to describe a deep emotional state of desire, often mixed with sadness. It is typically followed by the preposition "for" to indicate the object of the desire. It can also be used with a possessive form (e.g., her longing).

Examples

• She felt a deep longing for her homeland.
• His eyes were full of longing as he watched the train depart.
• There is a universal longing for peace and security.

Advanced Usage

• "A longing look/glance/gaze": A look that clearly expresses this deep desire.
  • He cast a longing look at the last piece of cake.
• "To be filled with longing": To be overwhelmed by this feeling.
  • The old song left her filled with longing for her youth.

Variants and Related Words

• Long (verb): To have a strong wish or desire for something.
  • She longed to see her family again.
• Longingly (adverb): In a way that expresses longing.
  • He sighed longingly.

Synonyms

• Yearning: A very similar, intense feeling of longing.
• Pining: Suggests a longing that causes sadness or loss of health, often for something lost.
• Craving: A powerful desire, often but not always for something physical like food.
• Hankering (informal): A casual or slight longing.

Antonyms

• Aversion: A strong dislike or disinclination.
• Indifference: Lack of interest, concern, or feeling.
• Repulsion: A feeling of intense distaste or disgust.

Idioms and Phrases

• "A longing of the heart": A deep emotional or romantic desire.
  • The poem speaks to the longing of the heart for connection.

Học thuật

Noun

1. prolonged unfulfilled desire or need

Từ đồng nghĩa

• yearning
• hungriness