Pining — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun adjective

Meaning & Definition of Pining

Pining (verb)

  1. to lose vigor, health, or flesh (as through grief), languish
  2. to yearn intensely and persistently especially for something unattainable
  3. to want or desire (someone or something) very much
  4. to feel very sad because one wants (something) or because one is not with (someone)

Pining (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a strong wish for something

    "a sudden pining to have steak for dinner"

    similar: appetency, appetite, craving, desire, drive, hankering, hunger, itch, jones (slang), letch, longing, lust, passion, thirst, thirstiness, urge, yearning, yen
    related: compulsion, impulse, impulsion, will, zeal, liking, love, taste, weakness, eagerness, impatience, want, wish, necessity, need, requirement, obsession, acquisitiveness, avarice, avariciousness, avidity, covetousness, cupidity, greed, greediness, rapaciousness, rapacity, cacoëthes, mania
    near: abhorrence, abomination, allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disgust, disinclination, dislike, disliking, distaste, hatred, loathing, nausea, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion, apathy, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern

Pining (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in longing, hankering

    similar: ambitious, appetent, covetous, craving, hankering, longing, happy, hung up, obsessed, breathless, restive, restless, engaged, interested, amenable, disposed, game, glad, inclined, ready, unreluctant, willing, agog, antsy, anxious, ardent, athirst, avid, bonkers (informal), crazy, desirous, eager, enthused, enthusiastic, excited, geeked (slang), great, greedy, gung ho, hepped up, hopped-up, hot, hungry, impatient, juiced, keen, nuts, pumped, raring, solicitous, stoked (slang), thirsty, voracious, wild
    opposite: apathetic, indifferent, uneager, unenthusiastic, casual, incurious, insouciant, nonchalant, unconcerned, uninterested, aloof, detached, disinterested, impassive, stolid, halfhearted, lackadaisical, languid, languorous, lukewarm, spiritless, averse, disinclined, hesitant, loath, reluctant, unwilling

Pining (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in longing, yearning

    similar: longing, yearning, agonizing, chafing, bothering, fearing, fretting, fussing, stewing, stressing, sweating, troubling, worrying, despairing
    opposite: accepting, abiding, bearing, enduring, sticking out, stomaching, sustaining, taking, tolerating

Related Entry: Pine (for) (verb)

Pine (for) is a different word from Pining. The synonyms below are for pine (for), not for pining.

  1. to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy

    "pining for a house in the mountains"

    similar: ache (for), covet, crave, desiderate, desire, die (for), hanker (for or after), hunger (for), itch (for), jones (for) (slang), long (for), lust (for or after), pant (after), repine (for), salivate (for), sigh (for), thirst (for), want, wish (for), yearn (for), yen (for), set one's heart on
    related: spoil (for), adore, delight (in), dig, enjoy, fancy, groove (on), like, love, relish, revel (in), favor, prefer, admire, appreciate, cherish, prize, treasure, value
    near: abhor, abominate, despise, detest, execrate, hate, loathe, decline, refuse, reject, spurn

Related Entry: Pining (away) (verb)

Pining (away) is a different word from Pining. The synonyms below are for pining (away), not for pining.

  1. as in longing (for), sighing

    similar: aching, longing (for), sighing, smarting, agonizing, anguishing, bleeding, grieving, hurting, mourning, sorrowing, suffering, racking, tormenting, torturing, bemoaning, bewailing, deploring, lamenting, ruing, bawling, blubbering, crying, groaning, howling, keening, moaning, sobbing, taking on, wailing, weeping, yammering, yowling, languishing, regretting
    opposite: beaming, cheering, crowing, delighting, exulting, glorying, joying, laughing, ravishing, rejoicing, triumphing, assuring, comforting, commiserating, consoling, reassuring, solacing, soothing, sympathizing

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Pining

The most common words with a similar meaning to Pining:

Slang: jones, geeked, stoked
Informal: bonkers
appetency, appetite, craving, desire, drive, hankering, hunger, itch, letch, longing, lust, passion, thirst, thirstiness, urge, yearning, yen, ambitious, appetent, covetous, happy, hung up, obsessed, breathless, restive, restless, engaged, interested, amenable, disposed, game, glad, inclined, ready, unreluctant, willing, agog, antsy, anxious, ardent

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Pining

Words with the opposite meaning of Pining:

apathetic, indifferent, uneager, unenthusiastic, casual, incurious, insouciant, nonchalant, unconcerned, uninterested, aloof, detached, disinterested, impassive, stolid, halfhearted, lackadaisical, languid, languorous, lukewarm, spiritless, averse, disinclined, hesitant, loath, reluctant, unwilling, accepting, abiding, bearing

Related Words for Pining

compulsion, impulse, impulsion, will, zeal, liking, love, taste, weakness, eagerness, impatience, want, wish, necessity, need, requirement, obsession, acquisitiveness, avarice, avariciousness, avidity, covetousness, cupidity, greed, greediness, rapaciousness, rapacity, cacoëthes, mania

Near Antonyms of Pining

abhorrence, abomination, allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disgust, disinclination, dislike, disliking, distaste, hatred, loathing, nausea, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion, apathy, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern

Word Forms of Pining

Inflections: pined, pined after, pining after, pines after, pined for, pining for, pines for

Origin & Etymology of Pining

Middle English, from Old English pīnian to suffer, from *pīn punishment, from Latin poena pain:1

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Pining

What does "Pining" mean?

"Pining" means to lose vigor, health, or flesh (as through grief), languish. As an a verb, a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: to lose vigor, health, or flesh (as through grief), languish. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Pining"?

Other words for "Pining" include appetency, appetite, craving, desire, drive, hankering, hunger and itch. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Pining" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Pining"?

There are 110 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Pining". Common alternatives include appetency, appetite, craving, desire, drive, hankering, hunger, itch, jones and letch.

What is a slang word for "Pining"?

Slang words for "Pining" include jones, geeked and stoked.

What is the opposite of "Pining"?

Antonyms of "Pining" include apathetic, indifferent, uneager, unenthusiastic, casual, incurious, insouciant and nonchalant. Near antonyms include abhorrence, abomination, allergy and averseness.

How do you use "Pining" in a sentence?

Examples of "Pining" in a sentence: "a sudden pining to have steak for dinner".

Is "Pining" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Pining" can be used as a verb, a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

What is the origin of the word "Pining"?

"Pining" comes from Middle English, from Old English pīnian to suffer, from *pīn punishment, from Latin poena pain:1. First known use: 14th century.