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.

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.

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.

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