longing

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈlɔŋɪŋ/ UK /ˈlɒŋɪŋ/ See IPA manual

noun adj

Meanings

1

noun
a strong, persistent yearning or desire

She gazed at the photograph with unmistakable longing.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a strong, persistent... yearning craving desire hankering pining achewistfulness

Opposites

indifference aversion contentment

Word family

Forms longingly

Derived forms longingly

Related forms long belong

Etymology

From the verb long ('to yearn', from Old English langian 'to grow long, yearn for', from lang 'long') + the noun-forming suffix -ing.

langian Old English lang Old English

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Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# longing

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun, adj
**IPA (US):** ˈlɔŋɪŋ
**IPA (UK):** ˈlɒŋɪŋ

## Meanings
1. a strong, persistent yearning or desire

## Examples
- She gazed at the photograph with unmistakable longing.

## Synonyms
- yearning
- craving
- desire
- hankering
- pining
- ache
- wistfulness

## Antonyms
- indifference
- aversion
- contentment

## Derived Forms
- longingly

## Related Forms
- long
- belong

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: langian
- Root: lang

## Etymology
From the verb long ('to yearn', from Old English langian 'to grow long, yearn for', from lang 'long') + the noun-forming suffix -ing.

## AI Etymology
Longing comes from the verb long ('to yearn', from Old English langian 'to grow long, yearn for', from lang 'long') + the noun-forming suffix -ing. The suffix is part of the word's derivational shape, marking the final grammatical or semantic role while the base supplies the central meaning. As a noun and adjective, it denotes "a strong, persistent yearning or desire", keeping the historical idea close to its dictionary sense. Relevant historical forms include Old English langian and Old English lang. Derivative forms include longingly; related words include long, belong.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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longing

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