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yearned-for

yearned-for

14 6.0
Wanted very much for a long time
  • adjective
  • /jɪrnd fɔr/
translation icon : deseado
  • After months of searching, she finally found the job she had yearned for since graduating.
  • peoples yearned-for reunion

Examples

  • He had always yearned for adventure, and finally decided to travel the world.

  • Now, with hindsight and a little bit more maturity, I look back and yearn for missed opportunities.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Lee is the son I have always yearned for.

  • How I yearned for her.

  • The truth is that she yearned for nothing so much as children of her own.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The truth was, he could not free himself from yearning for her touch.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • For four years he had lived in his imagination, yearning for the day when he might return to his studies.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Now even his own parties did not give him the excitement he yearned for.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Who would have guessed that his heart was full of romance and his soul yearned for love?

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Urban-dwelling Hispanos continue to yearn for traditional corridos that are rooted in the rural areas.

    Academic text (2002)

Synonyms

hoped-for
vsyearned-for
28 3.5

Wanted or expected because people want a good result

is more about deep personal longing rather than merely expected good outcome
longed-for
vsyearned-for
9 5.5

A thing people want and hope for after many years

is similar but focuses on strong desire without time emphasis
sought-after
vsyearned-for
8 4.1

Wanted by many people and hard to find

is the same idea but often used in broader demand contexts
sought after
vsyearned-for
5 4.1

Wanted by many people

is about intense personal longing rather than general market demand
wished-for
vsyearned-for
4 4.2

Wanted very much and hoped for

is more about deeper personal longing rather than imagined outcome
coveted
vsyearned-for
1 4.4

Wanted by many people because it is rare or special

is about private deep longing rather than broad public demand
craved
vsyearned-for
3.9

Having a very strong desire for something

is strong wanting too but usually less urgent and intense
desired
vsyearned-for
2.5

Something that people want very much

leans more toward deep emotional wanting rather than general strong need
wanted
vsyearned-for
1.0

A person or thing many people are looking for

is a much stronger, more emotional and specific form of that wanting
awaited
vsyearned-for
2.2

Expected with hope or excitement

is about strong personal longing rather than mere expectation

Antonyms

120 1.0

People do not like or need it

How Desired

coveted
1 4.4
yearned-for
14 6.0
desired
2.5
wanted
1.0

Surface Forms

yearned-for positive

Morphology

yearned-for = yearned (transparent) = for + yearn + ed

The hyphenated adjective is clearly built from the past participle 'yearned' plus the preposition 'for', so learners who know 'yearn' and the phrase 'yearn for' can infer the meaning. [Postprocessing: moved 'for' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

The word yearned-for comes from the old English verb yearn 'to long for' or 'want strongly', plus the small word for, and it names something people have wanted for a long time. That's why a yearned-for thing is not just wanted but has been much hoped for.