People everywhere yearn for public leaders dedicated to world peace.
Source: tatoeba (67390)
Yearn
/jɜːn/
Synonyms for "yearn" (80 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (16)
Strong matches (24)
Related words (40)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: hanker, long, pine, ache, ache.
- Sentence evidence is available for yearn, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "yearn".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "yearn"
Keep "yearn" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "yearn" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "yearn", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "yearn" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
11 entriesMore specific
5 entriesCollocations
5 entriesdeep longingintense yearningnostalgic longingstrong desireunfulfilled desire
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
2 entriesTranslations
88 translations across 35 languages.
Ancient Greek
2 entries- ποθέω verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- ὁμείρομαι verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Arabic
2 entries- اِشْتَاقَ verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- تَاقَ verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Belarusian
3 entries- нудзі́цца verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- сумава́ць verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- тужы́ць verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Bulgarian
2 entries- жадувам verb (to have a strong desire for (something))
- копне́я verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Catalan
2 entries- anhelar verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- ansiejar verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Cebuano
1 entries- hidlaw verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Chinese Mandarin
4 entries- 向往 verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- 思念 verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- 想念 verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- 盼念 verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Czech
3 entries- bažit verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- prahnout verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- toužit verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Danish
2 entries- længte efter verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- længte til verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Dutch
3 entries- smachten verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- verlangen (naar) verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- zuchten verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Esperanto
1 entries- sopiri verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Finnish
2 entries- haikailla verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- kaivata verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
French
1 entries- languir verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Galician
4 entries- aguciar verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- arelar verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- degorar verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- devecer verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Georgian
3 entries- ლტოლვა verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- მისწრაფება verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- სწრაფვა verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
German
3 entries- sich sehnen verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- verlangen verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- vermissen verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Greek
2 entries- επιθυμώ verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- λαχταρώ verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Hebrew
2 entries- השתוקק verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- כמה verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Hungarian
2 entries- sóvárog verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- vágyódik verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Italian
1 entries- bramare verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Japanese
3 entries- 切望する verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- 恋い慕う verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- 憧れる verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Korean
2 entries- 그리워하다 verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- 동경하다 verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Latin
1 entries- dēsīderō verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Māori
1 entries- kohekohe verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Occitan
2 entries- cobejar verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- desirar verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Portuguese
1 entries- ansiar verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Romanian
3 entries- dori verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- jindui verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- tânji verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Russian
4 entries- жа́ждать verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- скуча́ть verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- стреми́ться verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- тоскова́ть verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- čȅznuti verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- žúdeti verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- žúdjeti verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- жу́дети verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Spanish
4 entries- acezar verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- anhelar verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- ansiar verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- añorar verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Swedish
3 entries- längta efter verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- längta till verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- längta tillbaka till verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Turkish
2 entries- hislenmek verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- özlemek verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Ukrainian
4 entries- нуди́тися verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- нудьгува́ти verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- скуча́ти verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
- тужи́ти verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Welsh
1 entries- dyheu verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Yiddish
1 entries- בענקען verb (to have a strong desire for something or to do something)
Sample sentences
35 total sentences available.
Man has many wishes that he does not really wish to fulfil, and it would be a misunderstanding to suppose the contrary. He wants them to remain wishes, they have value only in his imagination; their fulfilment would be a bitter disappointment to him. Such a desire is the desire for eternal life. If it were fulfilled, man would become thoroughly sick of living eternally, and yearn for death.
Source: tatoeba (410818)
I yearn for victory.
Source: tatoeba (1772945)
For a pillow like this all men do yearn but that - quite frankly - is not my concern.
Source: tatoeba (2905289)
Showing 4 of 35 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "yearn"?
Closest matches include hanker, long, pine, ache, ache.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "yearn"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.