What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
wantingness
Example
Her wantingness for success drove her to work hard every day. [wantingness: noun]
Example
I can sense the wantingness in his voice when he talks about traveling the world. [wantingness: noun]
longing
Example
She felt a longing for her childhood home after being away for so long. [longing: noun]
Example
He longed to be reunited with his family after being separated for years. [longed: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Longing is less common than wantingness in everyday language, and is more often used in literature and poetry to convey a sense of nostalgia or yearning. Wantingness is a more versatile word that can be used in various contexts to describe a general feeling of lacking or needing something.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between wantingness and longing?
Both wantingness and longing are relatively formal words that may not be commonly used in casual conversation. However, longing may be considered more literary and poetic, while wantingness is more commonly used in everyday language.
