Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Yearn |
YearnVerb1. Desire strongly or persistently. 2. Have a yen for. 3. Have affection for; feel tenderness for. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "yearn" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Dream Interpretation | To feel in a dream that you are yearning for the presence of anyone, denotes that you will soon hear comforting tidings from your absent friends. For a young woman to think her lover is yearning for her, she will have the pleasure of soon hearing some one making a long-wished-for proposal. If she lets him know that she is yearning for him, she will be left alone and her longings will grow apace. Source: Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted .... |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Synonyms: YearnSynonyms: ache (v), hanker (v), languish (v), long (v), pine (v), yen (v). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Dejection | Mope, brood over; fret; sulk; pine, pine away; yearn; repine; (regret); despair. |
Desire | Desiderate; sigh for, cry for, gape for, gasp for, pine for, pant for, languish for, yearn for, long, be on thorns for, hope for; aspire after; catch at, grasp at, jump at. |
Pain | Grieve; mourn; (lament); yearn, repine, pine, droop, languish, sink; give way; despair; break one's heart; weigh upon the heart; (inflict pain). |
Pity | Verb: pity; have pity, show pity, take pity; Noun: commiserate, compassionate; condole; sympathize; feel for, be sorry for, yearn for; weep, melt, thaw, enter into the feelings of. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Yearn |
| English words defined with "yearn": Yearned, Yern. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "yearn": tariff. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "yearn": Erme. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Once you've had worm, it's what you'll yearn! (Men in Black II; writing credit: Lowell Cunningham; Robert Gordon) As a matter of fact, I yearn for it. (Designing Women; writing credit: Poul Thomsen) What do I yearn what do I yearn (Queen of the Damned; writing credit: Scott Abbott) You yearn (Queen of the Damned; writing credit: Scott Abbott) | |
Lyrics | I yearn to live (I wanna love you forever; performing artist: Jessica Simpson) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title |
Books | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Ovid | Although they posses enough, and more than enough still they yearn for more. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | TARIFF, n. A scale of taxes on imports, designed to protect the domestic producer against the greed of his consumer. The Enemy of Human Souls Sat grieving at the cost of coals; For Hell had been annexed of late, And was a sovereign Southern State. "It were no more than right," said he, "That I should get my fuel free. The duty, neither just nor wise, Compels me to economize -- Whereby my broilers, every one, Are execrably underdone. What would they have? -- although I yearn To do them nicely to a turn, I can't afford an honest heat. This tariff makes even devils cheat! I'm ruined, and my humble trade All rascals may at will invade: Beneath my nose the public press Outdoes me in sulphureousness; The bar ingeniously applies To my undoing my own lies; My medicines the doctors use (Albeit vainly) to refuse To me my fair and rightful prey And keep their own in shape to pay; The preachers by example teach What, scorning to perform, I teach; And statesmen, aping me, all make More promises than they can break. Against such competition I Lift up a disregarded cry. Since all ignore my just complaint, By Hokey-Pokey! I'll turn saint!" Now, the Republicans, who all Are saints, began at once to bawl Against his competition; so There was a devil of a go! They locked horns with him, tete-a-tete In acrimonious debate, Till Democrats, forlorn and lone, Had hopes of coming by their own. That evil to avert, in haste The two belligerents embraced; But since 'twere wicked to relax A tittle of the Sacred Tax, 'Twas finally agreed to grant The bold Insurgent-protestant A bounty on each soul that fell Into his ineffectual Hell. Edam Smith |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
George Bush | 1989-1993 | In fact, I yearn for a greater tolerance, an easy-goingness about each other's attitudes and way of life. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Yearn" is generally used as a lexical verb (base form) -- approximately 59.15% of the time. "Yearn" is used about 71 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Lexical Verb (base form) | 59.15% | 42 | 52,864 |
| Lexical Verb (infinitive) | 32.39% | 23 | 72,767 |
| Noun (singular) | 8.45% | 6 | 143,867 |
| Total | 100.00% | 71 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "yearn": yearn for ♦ yearn for home ♦ yearn for smb. ♦ yearn to ♦ yearn to do ♦ yearn to do smth.. Additional references. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
yearn | 13 |
read snoopys yearn | 3 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "yearn"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Afrikaans | verlang (ache, desire, long, long for, wish). (various references) | |
Albanian | më pikon në zemër, kam mall, jam i etur (die, hanker, lust, thirst). (various references) | |
Arabic | حن (crave, long for, slobber, wish for), تاق (ache, aim, aspire, crave, desire, gasp, hanker, hone, hunger, pant, want, wish), سفق على, إشتاق (have a yen for, long for, pine), رثى ل (deplore). (various references) | |
Bulgarian | стремя се (aspire, reach out, strive, tug), тъгувам (be melancholic, lament, mourn, sorrow), копнея (ache, crave, hanker, hunger, languish, long, pant, pine, sigh, weary, yen), жадувам (ache, desire, hanker, hunger, pant, pine, thirst, weary, yen). (various references) | |
Chinese | 盼望 (Yearned, Yearning). (various references) | |
Czech | toužit (ache, aspire, desire, hanker, want). (various references) | |
Danish | længsel (ache, long for, longing), kræve (ache, long for, need, require). (various references) | |
Dutch | verlangen (ache, desire, long for, longing, want, wish), reikhalzen (ache, long for), hunkeren (ache, long for). (various references) | |
Esperanto | sopiri (long for). (various references) | |
Faeroese | suffa (ache, groan, long for, moan), leingjast eftir (ache, long for). (various references) | |
Farsi | مشتاق بودن , ارزوکردن (Aspire, Crave, Desire, Wish), اشتیاق داشتن (Aspire, Crave, Hanker, Hunger, Thirst). (various references) | |
Finnish | kaivata (ache, lack, long, long for, miss, need, require), kaihota (languish, long, pine), ikävöidä (be bored, be tired of something, long, miss), halata (desire, embrace, hug, long). (various references) | |
French | soupirer. (various references) | |
German | sich sehnen (ache, hanker, long, long for, pine). (various references) | |
Greek | ποθώ (crave, desire, long, yearn for), λαχταρώ (ache, crave, desire, hanker, long for, thrill). (various references) | |
Hebrew | לערו' (languish, long for, pine, thirst), לאוות (covet, crave, desire eagerly, long for, wish), לכסוף (long for, pine), ל"יות צמא (be thirsty, covet, long for), ל"ת'ע'ע (languish, long for, pine, sigh), ל"שתוקק (crave, desire, hanker, hunger, long for, lust, strive, want, wish for), ל"כסף (long for, pine, sigh for), ל "ות אחרי (follow, long for). (various references) | |
Hungarian | sóvárog (ache, aspire, aspire to, crave, hanker, hope for, long for, to crave, to hanker, to hunger, to pine, to yammer, to yearn, yammer). (various references) | |
Icelandic | þrá (ache, ache for, long for, longing). (various references) | |
Indonesian | merindukan (covet), mendambakan (crave, long for), damba (long). (various references) | |
Italian | bramare (aspire, covet, crave, desire, hanker, hunger, long, long for, lust), anelare (gasp, pant, wheeze). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 慕う (to adore, to love dearly, to miss, to yearn for). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | したう (to adore, to love dearly, to miss, to yearn for), なつかしむ (to yearn forsomeone), "がれる (to be in love with, to yearn for), "いしたう (to love, to miss, to yearn for), "いしがる (to miss, to yearn for), "い"がれる (to be deeply in love with, to yearn for), あいぼ (adoration, attachment, cherish the memory of, love, yearn for), あ"がれる (to admire, to be attracted by, to long for, to yearn after). (various references) | |
Manx | yeearree (application, ask, aspiration, aspire, beseech, fancy, importune; prayer, intention, intreat, request, solicit, soliciting, wish), meiyghey (being benign, softening, yearning). (various references) | |
Norwegian | lengte (ache, long, long for). (various references) | |
Papiamen | anhelá (ache, long for). (various references) | |
Pig Latin | yearnay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | suspirar (ache, groan, long for, sigh, suspire). (various references) | |
Romanian | tânji (flag, languish, pine, slacken, stagnate, wither), arde de dorinţã de a. (various references) | |
Russian | тосковать тоска, тосковать (pine, yearns), томиться (pine), жаждать (covet, crave, hanker, starve). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | čeznuti (desire, die, long, pine, starve), žudeti (ache, aspire, covet, crave, hanker, hunger, long for, lust, thirst). (various references) | |
Spanish | suspirar (heave a sigh, long, sigh, suspire), desear (ache, covet, desire, long for, want, wish, wish for), desalarse (hasten along), ansiar (be eager for, covet, desire, hanker, urge on), añorar (hanker). (various references) | |
Swedish | längta (aspire, asspire, die, gasp, hunger, languish, long). (various references) | |
Turkish | hasret olmak (be starved, crave, long, pine for, Raven, regret), gözünde tütmek (long for, pine for, regret, sigh for), burnunda tütmek (crave for, long for, pine, pine for), arzulamak (ache, aspire, desire, hanker, have a yen for, long for, lust after, lust for, want, will, wish), özlemek (ache, hanker, hunger, long, long for, pant, pine, pine for, sigh for). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | скипатися (clod, clot, curd, earn), співчувати (commiserate, compassion, compassionate, condole, empathize, feel for, feel sorry, have pity, pity, sympathize, warm), туга (thirst, yearning), тужити (bewail), томитися, нудьга (bore, boredom, damp, distemper, dullness, ennui, insipidity, insipidness, monotony, mope, needle, tedium, yearning), знемагати (languish, pine away, sicken, stew), жадоба (appetite, avarice, avidity, craving, cupidity, desire, greed, yearning). (various references) | |
Welsh | hiraethu (long, sorrow), dyheu (aspire, long, pant). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | esurio. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Language | Date | Source | Genesis Chapter 43, Verse 30 |
| Greek (transliterated) | 250 BC | Septuagint | Etaracqh de iwshf sunestrefeto gar ta entera autou epi tw adelfw autou kai ezhtei klausai eiselqwn de eiV to tamieion eklausen ekei |
| Latin | 405 | Vulgate | Festinavitque quia commota fuerant viscera eius super fratre suo et erumpebant lacrimae et introiens cubiculum flevit |
| Middle English | 1395 | Wyclif | And he hiyede into the hows, for the entrayls of hym weren moued vpon his brother, and teeris bristen oute, and he, goynge in to the bed place, wepte. |
| Renaissance English | 1526 | Tyndale | And Ioseph made hast (for his hert dyd melt apon his brother) and soughte for to wepe and entred in to his chambre for to wepe there. |
| Jacobean English | 1611 | King James | And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. |
| Basic English | 1964 | Ogden | Then, after washing his face, he came out, and controlling his feelings said, Put food before us. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Genesis Chapter 43, Verse 30 |
| Cebuano | Unya si Jose midali kay ang iyang kasingkasing nangandoy tungod sa iyang igsoon, ug nangita siya ug dapit sa paghilak: ug misulod siya sa iyang lawak, ug mihilak siya didto. |
| Croatian | Josip se poslije toga požuri van jer mu se srce uzbudilo zbog brata; bilo mu je da zaplaèe. Uðe u jednu sobu i tu se isplaka. |
| Danish | Men da han havde badet sit Ansigt, kom han ud, og han beherskede sig og sagde: "Sæt Maden frem!" |
| Dutch | En Jozef haastte zich; want zijn ingewand ontstak jegens zijn broeder, en hij zocht te wenen; en hij ging in een kamer, en weende aldaar. |
| Finnish | Mutta silloin Joosef keskeytti äkkiä puheensa, sillä nähdessään veljensä hän tuli sydämessään liikutetuksi ja etsi tilaisuutta itkeäkseen; niin hän meni sisähuoneeseen ja itki siellä. |
| French | Ses entrailles étaient émues pour son frère, et il avait besoin de pleurer; il entra précipitamment dans une chambre, et il y pleura. |
| German | Und Joseph eilte, denn sein Herz entbrannte ihm gegen seinen Bruder, und suchte, wo er weinte, und ging in seine Kammer und weinte daselbst. |
| Haitian Creole | Lè sa a, Jozèf kouri soti byen vit, paske kè l' t'ap fè l' mal pou frè l' yo. Dlo vin nan je l', li antre nan chanm li, li kriye kont li. |
| Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hari | Hati Yusuf meluap karena rasa rindu dan sayang kepada adiknya. Ia hampir tak dapat menguasai dirinya, karena itu pergilah ia dari situ dengan tiba-tiba lalu masuk ke kamarnya dan menangis. |
| Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama | Maka Yusufpun bergopoh-gopoh dari sana, karena rindu sangat hatinya akan adiknya, dicaharinya tempat hendak menangis, lalu masuklah ia ke dalam bilik serta menangis di sana. |
| Maori | Na ka hohoro a Hohepa; he tokonga ake hoki no tona ngakau aroha ki tona teina: a ka rapua e ia tetahi wahi hei tangihanga; a haere ano ia ki te ruma i roto, ki reira tangi ai. |
| Norwegian | Så tvettet han sitt ansikt og gikk ut, og han gjorde sig sterk og sa: Sett maten frem! |
| Portuguese | E José apressou-se, porque se lhe comoveram as entranhas por causa de seu irmão, e procurou onde chorar; e, entrando na sua câmara, chorou ali. |
| Rumanian | Iosif a isprqvit repede, cqci i se rupea inima pentru fratele squ, wi simyea nevoie sq plkngq; a intrat de grab kntr`o odaie, wi a plkns acolo. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "yearn": yearned, yearner, yearners, yearning, yearningly, yearnings, yearns. (additional references) | |
| |
"Yearn" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: cearn, fearn, gearn, jearn, jewarna, kearn, yairn, yarb, yarg, Yarin, yarz, yeard, yearg, yearl, yearne, yearny, yearo, yeary, yein, yenan, yenra, yeon, yeun, yian, Youern, yourn. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "yearn" (pronounced yer"n) |
| 2 | -er" n | fern, adjourn, burn, churn, concern, discern, durn, earn, Erne, Hern, Kern, Kirn, learn, return, sauterne, spurn, stern, turn, unconcern, upturn, urn. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-e-n-r-y" | |
-1 letter: aery, earn, eyra, nary, near, yare, yarn, yean, year. | |
-2 letters: ane, any, are, aye, ear, era, ern, nae, nay, ran, ray, rya, rye, yar, yea, yen. | |
-3 letters: ae, an, ar, ay, en, er, na, ne, re, ya, ye. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-e-n-r-y" | |
+1 letter: anergy, carney, denary, napery, nearby, nearly, senary, yarned, yarner, yawner, yearns. | |
+2 letters: abhenry, agentry, angerly, annoyer, anorexy, anymore, ardency, beanery, blarney, cannery, carneys, deanery, draymen, errancy, inlayer, knavery, larceny, nectary, orangey, plenary, reynard, synurae, tannery, ternary, unready, unweary, yardmen, yarners, yawners, yearend, yearned, yearner. | |
+3 letters: abhenrys, aerodyne, aeronomy, analyser, analyzer, ancestry, aneurysm, annoyers, anywhere, ardently, aroynted, attorney, bankerly, barrenly, barytone, blarneys, boneyard, brazenly, catenary, centaury, chancery, cinerary, cravenly, crayoned, dairymen, deaconry, decenary, empyrean, enactory, endarchy, entreaty, entryway, errantly, errantry, everyman, ferryman, funerary, garganey, grayness, greenway, inlayers, interlay, jerrycan, knackery, larynges, larynxes, layering, linearly, mannerly, maryjane, monetary, nabobery, naysayer, neurally, numeracy, numerary, orangery, ornately, overmany, papyrine, pedantry, pyranose, readying, regnancy, relaying, repandly, repaying, resaying, reynards, seminary, sternway, swannery, synergia, tenantry, tyramine, underlay, underpay, underway, unreally, urbanely, verdancy, vernally, vicenary, vinegary, vineyard, wardenry, weaponry, wearying, yearends, yearling, yearlong, yearners, yearning, yeomanry. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Quotations: Familiar 7. Quotations: Non-fiction 8. Quotations: Speeches | 9. Usage Frequency 10. Expressions 11. Expressions: Internet 12. Translations: Modern | 13. Translations: Ancient 14. Bible Trace 15. Derivations 16. Rhymes | 17. Anagrams 18. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
