longingly

longingly — adverb

1. showing deep desire for something you do not have — like gazing at a shop window

1.adverbB2
Definition

showing deep desire for something you do not have — like gazing at a shop window full of things you wish you could buy, or thinking of a person you miss very much.

Example

Priya stared longingly at the last piece of chocolate cake on the counter.

adverb modifying 'stared' for strong desire

Theo glanced longingly at his neighbour's bicycle as he walked to school.

Common collocations
  • stare longingly
  • gaze longingly
  • sigh longingly
  • think longingly of
  • look longingly at
Synonyms
  • yearningly

    stronger emotional intensity, often for something deeply personal

  • wistfully

    more nostalgic and gentle, often tinged with sadness about the past

  • eagerly

    more active and hopeful — lacks the sadness of longingly

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

longingly + verb (describing how someone looks, thinks, or speaks)

Usage Note

Most commonly used with verbs of looking (stare, gaze, glance, peer), thinking (think, remember, dream, imagine), or expressing emotion (sigh, speak, whisper). The word carries a tone of sadness because the desired thing is out of reach.

Common Mistakes

She looked longly at the dress in the shop window.
She looked longingly at the dress in the shop window.
'longly' is not a standard English adverb; the correct form is 'longingly'.

Word family

  • long
    verbB2
  • longing
    nounB2
  • longing
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words describe strong desire, but they differ in tone. Longingly is the most general — it fits any situation where someone wants something they cannot have, from a child wanting ice cream to a lover missing a partner. Yearningly is deeper and more intense, often used for life-changing desires (a refugee yearningly watching their homeland from a ship). Wistfully adds a layer of nostalgia or regret — you look back wistfully at lost youth or old friendships. Eagerly is the odd one out: it lacks sadness and instead conveys excitement and anticipation. You might eagerly open a gift but longingly watch someone else open theirs.

longingly ↗yearninglywistfullyeagerly ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The adverb longingly comes from the verb long, which in Old English (langian) meant 'to grow long, to stretch toward' and gradually took on the sense of 'to yearn for.' Adding the noun suffix -ing gave longing (a feeling of desire), and then the adverbial suffix -ly created longingly — literally 'in a manner full of yearning.'