Meaning & use
yearned
Last updated
“yearned” is a form of “yearn”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbintransitiveliterary
wanted something very much, especially something you cannot have, often with a feeling of sadness
Grammar: No object; usually followed by 'for' + noun or 'to' + verb: 'yearned for freedom', 'yearned to be free'.
Patterns
- yearn for something
- yearn to do something
After years in the city, she yearned for the quiet of the countryside.
He yearned to see his family again after the long war.
The students yearned for a break from their studies.
Word forms
| third person singular | yearns |
|---|---|
| past tense | yearned |
| past participle | yearned |
| -ing form | yearning |
Common combinations
- yearn for something
- Many people yearn for a simpler life.
- yearn to do something
- She yearned to explore the world.
- yearn after something
- He yearned after the days of his youth.
- yearn for freedom
- The prisoners yearned for freedom.
Synonyms and how they differ
- long
- Long is more common in everyday speech and can be used in the same patterns: 'long for', 'long to'. Yearn is stronger and more literary.
- crave
- Crave often suggests a physical or intense desire, like for food or attention, while yearn suggests a deep emotional longing.
- pine
- Pine suggests a sad, wasting longing, often because someone or something is absent; it is even more literary than yearn.
Word family
Commonly confused: yearned or yawned? yearned or earned?
yearned vs yawned
Yawned means opened your mouth wide because you were tired; yearned means wanted something very much. They sound similar but have completely different meanings.
yearned vs earned
Earned means got money or something else in return for work; yearned means longed for something. The first letter makes the difference.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence using 'yearned'.
Choose one answer.
Yearn is intransitive and is followed by 'for' + noun or 'to' + verb. 'Yearned for a chance' is correct. 'Yearned a chance' is missing the preposition; 'yearned to a chance' is wrong because 'to' must be followed by a verb, not a noun; 'yearned at' is not a correct pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “yearned”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.