What does yearn mean?
Word: Yearn
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Yearn means to want something very much, especially something that is far away or hard to get.
Synonyms: long, ache
How do you spell yearn?
Syllables: yearn
Tricky part: The vowel sound is spelt ear, as in learn and earth, but students often write yern or yurn.
Watch out for: yern, yurn
Memory tip: Yearn is spelt like learn and earn, with the same ear in the middle.
Yearn in a sentence
Example 1: Living in a hostel, Lucy yearned for her mother's bean stew and rice.
Example 2: After a week of rain, the children yearned for a sunny day to play outside.
Example 3: After six months in space, the astronaut yearned for a hot bath and a plate of home-cooked food.
Fun Fact
Yearn goes back to an Old English verb, giernan, which meant to strive for or desire.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
yearn
a) refuse
b) dislike
c) ignore
d) crave
Show answer
d) crave. To crave something is to want it badly, just as when you yearn for it.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
nreay
a) learn
b) yearn
c) years
d) early
Show answer
b) yearn. Early and learn both need an l, and years has an s where the jumble has an n.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) desire
b) yearn
c) longing
d) wishfull
Show answer
d) wishfull. Wishful ends with a single l.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
During the hot summer holidays, Meera would yearn for the cool breze of the hills.
a) yearn
b) hills
c) summer
d) breze
Show answer
d) breze. Breeze has a double e in the middle.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which person is most likely to yearn for the sea?
a) a sailor stuck far inland
b) a diver exploring a reef
c) a fisherman out on his boat
d) a child splashing at the beach
Show answer
a) a sailor stuck far inland
2. Which sentence uses yearn correctly?
a) He yearned the heavy door shut.
b) He yearned a sandwich for his lunch.
c) She yearned to see her family again.
d) The cat yearned on the sofa all day.
Show answer
c) She yearned to see her family again.
