/ jɜːn; NAmE jɜːrn/ verb
yearn (for sth/sb) ( literary ) to want sth very much, especially when it is very difficult to get
SYN long :
[ v ]
The people yearned for peace.
There was a yearning look in his eyes.
[ v to inf ]
She yearned to escape from her office job.
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English giernan , from a Germanic base meaning eager.