yearn meaning
yearn :
to strongly want, to desire
Verb
▪ She yearns for a new adventure.
▪ She strongly wants a new adventure.
▪ He yearns to travel the world.
▪ He strongly wants to travel the world.
paraphrasing
▪ long – to want very much
▪ crave – to have a strong desire
▪ desire – to wish for
▪ ache – to feel a deep need
Pronunciation
yearn [jɜːrn]
The stress is on 'yearn' and sounds like 'yurn'.
Common phrases and grammar about yearn
yearn - Common meaning
Verb
to strongly want, to desire
Part of Speech Changes for "yearn"
▪ yearning (noun) – a strong desire
▪ yearned (adjective) – strongly wanted
Common Expressions with "yearn"
▪ yearn for freedom – to strongly want freedom
▪ yearn to learn – to strongly want to learn
▪ yearn for change – to strongly want change
▪ yearn for love – to strongly want love
Important examples of yearn in TOEIC
Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test
In TOEIC vocabulary questions, yearn often appears in contexts about desires or ambitions.
Example of a confusing word: earn (to receive as payment)
Grammar examples from the TOEIC test
Yearn is used as a verb and often followed by 'for' or 'to' in TOEIC grammar questions.
yearn
Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC
yearn for a better life
'strongly want a better life', used in discussions about aspirations.
yearn to make a difference
means 'to strongly want to have an impact'.
Differences between similar words and yearn
yearn
,
long
differences
Yearn implies a deep emotional desire, while long is more general for wanting something.
Words with the same origin as yearn
The origin of yearn
Yearn comes from the Old English 'giernan', which means to desire or wish.
Word structure
The analysis of the word's composition is unclear.
Words with the same origin
The word's root is unclear or difficult to confirm.
