long for

English

Pronunciation

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Adjective

long for (not comparable)

1. likely to remain for a long time

   I asked the doctor if I was long for this world

   (likely to live a long time)

   • 2009, Karen Hawkins, Talk of the Town, page 126:

     But it doesn't matter, because Roxie's not long for this town. As soon as her mother's better, she'll be on her way to Paris.

Usage notes

Used in the negative, questions or statements of doubt.

Verb

long for (third-person singular simple present longs for, present participle longing for, simple past and past participle longed for)

1. (transitive) To have a desire for (a thing or an event).

   Synonyms: yearn for, crave for, hanker for

   He was the object of my affection; I longed for him to notice me.

   Oh how I long for this pandemic to end so we can go dancing again.

2. (transitive) To miss (someone).
   • 1888, Tighe Hopkins, For Freedom, volume 2, page 104:

     “I will stay now, if you bid me,” she replied, as low. “See, I am going to my mother, who longs for me as I for her. I will not go unless you let me.”

   • 1982, Luise Mühlbach, chapter LIV, in F. Jordan, transl., Napoleon and Blücher: An Historical Novel, page 297:

     For some time he had not heard from his consort […] His heart longed for her and his child.

   • 2011, Edith Sitwell, Fanfare for Elizabeth:

     He remembered those long years before his marriage, when he had longed for her and she had resisted him […]

Related terms

• longing
• not long for

Translations

to have desire for; to yearn

• Azerbaijani: darıxmaq (az)
• Catalan: enyorança (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 願望 / 愿望 (zh) (yuànwàng), 渴望 (zh) (kěwàng)

• Dalmatian: bramur
• Dutch: begeren (nl)
• Esperanto: sopiri
• Finnish: ikävöidä (fi), kaivata (fi)
• French: convoiter (fr)
• German: begehren (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: ὁμείρομαι (homeíromai), ποθέω (pothéō)

• Ingrian: ikävöijä, ikävöittää
• Italian: bramare (it)
• Latin: cupio
• Mongolian: үгүйлэх (mn) (ügüjlex)
• Navajo: íítʼiʼ
• Norwegian: lengte
• Portuguese: desejar (pt), ansiar (pt), almejar (pt)
• Spanish: anhelar (es)
• Swedish: längta efter
• Venetan: bramizar

to miss

• Arabic: اِشْتَاقَ (ar) (ištāqa)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 想念 (zh) (xiǎngniàn), 思念 (zh) (sīniàn), 盼念 (zh) (pànniàn)

• Dutch: verlangen (nl)
• Finnish: ikävöidä (fi), kaivata (fi)
• French: languir (fr)
• German: sich sehnen, verlangen (de)
• Ingrian: ikävöijä, ikävöittää
• Japanese: あこがれる (ja) (akogareru), 憧れる (ja) (akogareru), 恋い慕う (ja) (koishitau)
• Latin: desidero
• Portuguese: sentir saudade, ter saudade, estar com saudade, sentir falta
• Russian: скуча́ть (ru) (skučátʹ), тоскова́ть (ru) (toskovátʹ), жа́ждать (ru) (žáždatʹ), стреми́ться (ru) (stremítʹsja)
• Spanish: echar de menos (es)
• Swedish: längta tillbaka till

Anagrams

• for long, forlong