Word
longs
Phoneticslongs
US/ˈɫɔŋz/
UK/lˈɒŋz/
Definition
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.
Examples
“She longs for the day when she can travel again.”
“After years of living in the crowded city, he longs for the peace and quiet of the countryside.”
“The protagonist longs for a sense of belonging that has eluded him since his childhood departure from his ancestral home.”
Examples
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.”
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.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/longs