Longed-for

Deeply desired over time and emotionally welcomed when obtained.

Reach for it when describing a reunion, peace, home, answer, or change carrying sustained yearning

The longed-for rain arrived softly during the night.

• playful

  dreamed-of

  an imagined ideal has motivated someone

  not when Dreamed-of can sound fanciful when the need was practical and urgent.

• everyday

  much-wanted

  plain emphasis on strong desire fits

  not when Much-wanted lacks the reflective emotional tone of longed-for.

• warm

  cherished

  the person or thing is already held dear

  not when Cherished usually describes what is possessed, not what is still awaited.

• warm

  hoped-for

  hope rather than intense desire sustained the wait

  not when Hoped-for is gentler and may concern an uncertain outcome.

• formal

  desired

  something is wanted without extra emotional force

  not when Desired does not show duration or yearning.

• literary

  yearned-for

  intense sustained longing is genuinely present

  not when Yearned-for is equally elevated and can overstate a modest preference.

• unwanted
• dreaded
• rejected

• longed-for peace

  The ceasefire offered a first glimpse of longed-for peace.

• longed-for child

  Their longed-for child arrived safely in early spring.

• longed-for opportunity

  The fellowship became her longed-for opportunity to study abroad.

• merriam-webster, adjective, single sense ↗opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.