ENGLISH
REFERENCE

longs

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɫɔŋz// UK //lˈɒŋz// longs

v. to want something very much, especially when it is difficult to get or will take a long time to happen.

v. to have a strong, persistent desire for something or someone. Typically describes a deep emotional yearning rather than a simple preference.


SIMPLE

She longs for the day when she can travel again.

CONTEXTUAL

After years of living in the crowded city, he longs for the peace and quiet of the countryside.

COMPLEX

The protagonist longs for a sense of belonging that has eluded him since his childhood departure from his ancestral home.

Synonyms
Usage

The verb is intransitive and is almost always followed by the preposition 'for' or a to-infinitive.

Pitfall

She longs the summer holidays.She longs for the summer holidays.Long is intransitive and requires the preposition 'for' before a noun object.

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