hankering

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈhæŋkɚɪŋ/ UK /ˈhæŋkərɪŋ/ See IPA manual

noun

Meanings

1

noun
a strong, often restless craving or longing

She had a sudden hankering for the salt air of the coast.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a strong, often restless... craving longing yearning hunger desire itch pining urge

Opposites

aversion distaste repugnance

Word family

Forms hankerings

Related forms hanker

Etymology

From hanker ('to long for'), a frequentative probably of Dutch or Flemish origin, related to hang (Dutch hunkeren), conveying the sense of hanging about in desire.

hunkeren Middle Dutch

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# hankering

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** ˈhæŋkɚɪŋ
**IPA (UK):** ˈhæŋkərɪŋ

## Meanings
1. a strong, often restless craving or longing

## Examples
- She had a sudden hankering for the salt air of the coast.

## Synonyms
- craving
- longing
- yearning
- hunger
- desire
- itch
- pining
- urge

## Antonyms
- aversion
- distaste
- repugnance

## Related Forms
- hanker

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: hunkeren

## Etymology
From hanker ('to long for'), a frequentative probably of Dutch or Flemish origin, related to hang (Dutch hunkeren), conveying the sense of hanging about in desire.

## AI Etymology
Hankering comes from hanker ('to long for'), a frequentative probably of Dutch or Flemish origin, related to hang (Dutch hunkeren), conveying the sense of hanging about in desire. The etymological trail includes Middle Dutch hunkeren. As a noun, hankering names a strong, often restless craving or longing. The same family is visible in related forms such as hanker. The wording should be read with that uncertainty intact: the proposed connection is plausible rather than absolute.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

markdown

hankering

Meanings

Thesaurus

Etymology

Topics

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

Send feedback