Meaning & use
yearns for
Last updated
UK/ˈjɜːnz fɔː/
US/ˈjɝːnz fɔːr/
“yearns for” is a form of “yearn”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
phraseintransitiveliterary
Longs very deeply for something that is absent or hard to get.
Grammar: Always followed by for: she yearns for home. Also: yearns to do something.
Patterns
- yearns for something
- yearns for someone
She yearns for the quiet of her childhood village.
He yearns for a chance to prove himself.
The old sailor yearns for the sea.
Common combinations
- yearns for home
- The soldier yearns for home.
- yearns for freedom
- The prisoner yearns for freedom.
- yearns for the past
- He yearns for the past more with each year.
- deeply yearns for
- She deeply yearns for a family of her own.
Synonyms and how they differ
- longs for
- Longs for is a little more common in everyday speech and slightly less intense than yearns for.
- pines for
- Pines for adds a sense of sadness and fading away because of the absence.
- craves
- Craves needs no preposition and often points to a physical or strong immediate need.
Opposites
dreads
Word family
Commonly confused: yearns for or earns for?
yearns for vs earns for
Earn means to receive pay, and has nothing to do with longing.
Practice
Complete: 'After ten years abroad, she yearns ___ her homeland.'
Choose one answer.
Yearn takes for before a noun. 'To' can follow yearn only with a verb, as in yearn to return.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “yearns for”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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