Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: Old English
Origin: giernan

yearn

 verb
     
yearn [intransitive]
literary to have a strong desire for something, especially something that is difficult or impossible to get [= long]
yearn for
Hannah yearned for a child.
yearn to be/do something
Phil had yearned to be a pilot from an early age.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
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