Pined-for

To experience an intense, often melancholic, longing or yearning for someone or something, especially something lost, absent, or unattainable. This yearning is frequently accompanied by feelings of sadness, nostalgia, and a sense of loss. The object of the pining can be a person, place, object, or abstract concept such as freedom or a better time. The duration of pining can vary significantly, from short-lived moments of longing to prolonged periods of profound sorrow and yearning, deeply impacting the emotional state and potentially influencing behavior and decision-making processes. It implies a strong emotional attachment and the recognition of its absence, creating a void in the emotional landscape.

Pined-for meaning with examples

• After years abroad, she *pined for* the familiar scent of her grandmother's baking and the sound of church bells, missing the comforts of her childhood home with an aching heart. Each memory intensified her desire for the simpler life she’d left behind.
• The shipwrecked sailor, stranded on a deserted island, *pined for* his family, constantly visualizing their faces and voices, clinging to those memories as a source of strength and hope against the overwhelming loneliness of the situation. His mind was filled with their smiles.
• He *pined for* his lost love, replaying their memories and cherishing any remnant that reminded him of their time together. He visited their favorite places and kept his eyes out for anything that could make them come back.
• She *pined for* a simpler existence, the chaotic demands of the city always present in the back of her mind. She dreamed of a life lived at a slower pace, filled with the quiet beauty of nature and the contentment of the simple life.
• The artist, haunted by the failure of his latest project, *pined for* the creative spark that he once possessed, unable to recreate that magic to drive him, leaving him frustrated by his art, and the lack of a muse.