yearning

YEER-ning

meaning in plain English

Imagine a quiet ache in your chest when you wish for something just out of reach. That ache is the feeling called yearning.

Think of a night sky pulling at the moon—that tug in your chest is yearning.

for example

She felt a quiet yearning to see her long‑lost sister again.

When you stare at an old photo and feel a soft, sad pull to be back in that moment, that's yearning. It’s a gentle, lingering wish that won’t quite let go.