Longs

The plural form of 'long', referring to a feeling of yearning or desire for someone or something; an aspiration or ambition. It encapsulates a deep-seated wish, often for something unattainable or lost, like the longing for a past time, a person, or a better future. It can also imply a persistent craving for a particular thing or state, representing an emotional state of wanting and missing, often tinged with nostalgia, regret, or hope.

Longs meaning with examples

• After years away, the expatriate returned home, overwhelmed by the longs for the familiar sights and sounds of her childhood, the smells of the bakeries, and the laughter of her friends that had remained. It was a deep-seated desire to go back.
• She carried her grandfather’s worn photograph and cherished it in order to ease the longs she felt after losing her family in the war, and his smile comforted her heart. A desire for his presence comforted her as she felt alone and was not in great spirits.
• The castaway on the deserted island felt the painful longs for human contact and companionship, yearning for the warmth of friendship and the safety of society after being on his own for years. The longing kept him going day after day in the sand.
• Despite her success in the city, she was plagued by the longs for the simplicity of her rural upbringing and the peacefulness of her grandparents' home, where the air felt less toxic. The longs for a simpler life in her heart.
• The old musician, despite his fame, always felt longs for the creative freedom of his earlier, less commercial work, missing the days when he played what he felt and not what was requested. A true artist's soul still longs for that moment in time.