Yearned-for
adj.hopeful, calmwarm
What it means
Deeply desired over time and awaited with sincere longing.
Reach for it when describing an arrival or outcome whose emotional importance grew during a long wait
The ceasefire brought a yearned-for quiet to the village.
Choose between these
7- everyday
hoped-for
when hope continued despite uncertainty
not when A hoped-for result may be welcome without the intensity of yearning.
- everyday
when the duration of the wait is most important
not when Something can be long-awaited from duty rather than deeply wanted.
- warm
dreamed-of
when imagination sustained an aspiration
not when Dreamed-of sounds idealized and may lack a realistic path.
- warm
much-wanted
when strong personal desire should sound plain
not when Much-wanted says little about patience or emotional ache.
- professional
desired
when a neutral statement of preference is enough
not when Desired is cooler and may describe a technical outcome.
- literary
coveted
when many people compete for a scarce prize
not when Coveted can imply status seeking or possession rather than heartfelt longing.
- literary
when gentle longing suits reflective prose
not when Wished-for is lighter and more passive than yearned-for.
Said against
3- unwanted
- dreaded
- unwelcome
It naturally appears in
3- yearned-for peace
Yearned-for peace arrived slowly through local agreements.
- yearned-for chance
The audition gave him the yearned-for chance to be heard.
- yearned-for reunion
Their yearned-for reunion began with silence and then laughter.
Where this comes from
Yearned-for is not a headword in the dictionaries below. The sense was checked against their entries for yearn, and the definition and example here are written for Yearned-for itself.
- Cambridge Dictionary, the entry for yearn, verb sense: to desire something strongly, especially when difficult to obtain 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.