Hankered

To have a strong desire or craving for something, often something unattainable or absent. The feeling is usually persistent and can manifest as longing or a yearning. It implies a feeling of incompleteness or dissatisfaction without the desired object or experience. The object of the desire can range from tangible items to intangible concepts like status or emotional states. It also conveys a sense of wishing for something that feels appealing and potentially fulfilling, creating a noticeable drive or urge within the person experiencing the feeling. The intensity can vary, but the core idea is a strong, often emotional, pull towards something desired.

Hankered meaning with examples

• After years of city living, Sarah constantly hankered for the quiet solitude of the countryside, imagining herself surrounded by nature and away from the urban noise. She spent hours browsing countryside real estate online, a visible expression of her hankering.
• The exiled prince hankered for his homeland, dreaming nightly of its familiar landscapes and the people he had left behind. He poured over ancient maps and family heirlooms, clinging to the memory of the kingdom he wanted to return to, fueling his hankering.
• Lost in the wilderness, the hiker began to hanker for a hot meal and a warm bed, the comforts of civilization a distant but alluring thought. His weariness amplified his hankering as hunger gnawed at him, making him wish for rescue.
• Despite his successful career, Mark secretly hankered for a life of artistic expression, longing to paint and sculpt, despite lacking any formal training. He often felt as though a significant part of himself was unfulfilled because of this hankering.
• As the ship sailed across the ocean, the sailors hankered for solid ground and the company of their families, months at sea creating an intense yearning for the familiar. Their shared hankering fostered a sense of solidarity in their shared longing.