Yen
n.hopeful, energeticplayful
What it means
A strong informal desire or inclination to do or experience something.
Reach for it when naming an appetite for an activity when the tone is lighter than yearning
He developed a yen for travel after studying maritime history.
Choose between these
7- playful
hankering
when a persistent informal desire suits conversational prose
not when Hankering can sound rustic or comic and is less concise than yen.
- playful
itch
when restless desire to begin an activity is vivid
not when Itch is slang and suggests impatience rather than considered interest.
- everyday
urge
when an immediate impulse presses for action
not when An urge is more sudden and bodily, while a yen can persist pleasantly.
- warm
craving
when desire feels intense and difficult to ignore
not when Craving often concerns food or addiction and can pathologize an ordinary interest.
- formal
inclination
when a mild tendency or preference should sound neutral
not when Inclination is weaker and may never become a strong desire.
- literary
appetite
when eager interest can be expressed metaphorically
not when Appetite can sound acquisitive and may introduce a food meaning.
- literary
longing
when absence gives desire emotional depth
not when Longing is much more serious and tender than a casual yen.
Said against
3- aversion
- disinclination
- indifference
It naturally appears in
3- have a yen for
Some collectors have a yen for old maps but check their colonial labels critically.
- develop a yen
The workshop helped him develop a yen for woodworking.
- sudden yen
A sudden yen for the coast sent them to the last evening train.