adj · noun · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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UK:/ˈlɒŋɪŋ/
rhymes with -ɒŋɪŋ
US:/ˈlɔːŋɪŋ/
cot-caught-merger:/lɑŋɪŋ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:L AO1 NG IH0 NG
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An earnest and deep, not greatly passionate, but rather melancholic desire.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The buying of a financial instrument with the expectation that its value will rise.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
present participle and gerund of long
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
prolonged unfulfilled desire or need
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
From Middle English longynge, langynge, langand, from Old English langiende, from Proto-Germanic *langōndz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *langōną (“to desire, long for”), equivalent to long + -ing (present participle ending).
From Middle English longinge, langynge, from Old English longung, langung (“longing, desire”), from Proto-Germanic *langungō, gerund of Proto-Germanic *langōną (“to desire, long for”), equivalent to long + -ing (gerund ending).
Across languages
Translations
75 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
mall
— melancholic desire
Amharic:
ጉጉት
(gugut)
— melancholic desire
Arabic:
شَوْق
(šawq)
— melancholic desire
Arabic:
شوق
(šōg)
— melancholic desire
Bulgarian:
копнеж
(kopnež)
— melancholic desire
Catalan:
enyorança
— melancholic desire
Catalan:
enyor
— melancholic desire
Chinese Mandarin:
渴望
(kěwàng)
— melancholic desire
Czech:
touha
— melancholic desire
Czech:
tesknění
— melancholic desire
Dutch:
verlangen
— melancholic desire
Esperanto:
sopiro
— melancholic desire
Finnish:
kaipuu
— melancholic desire
Finnish:
kaipaus
— melancholic desire
Finnish:
ikävä
— melancholic desire
French:
nostalgie
— melancholic desire
Galician:
morriña
— melancholic desire
Galician:
saudade
— melancholic desire
Galician:
soidade
— melancholic desire
Galician:
estranía
— melancholic desire
German:
Sehnsucht
— melancholic desire
German:
Sehnen
— melancholic desire
German:
Verlangen
— melancholic desire
Gothic:
𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌽𐌴𐌹
(gairnei)
— melancholic desire
Ancient Greek:
πόθος
(póthos)
— melancholic desire
Ancient Greek:
ὄρεξις
(órexis)
— melancholic desire
