Pronunciation: /ˈpaɪnɪŋ/

Definitions of pining

verb to have a strong desire or longing for something

Example Sentences

A1 She is pining for her lost cat.

A2 He spent all day pining for his ex-girlfriend.

B1 The soldier was pining for his family back home.

B2 After moving to a new country, she found herself pining for her old friends.

C1 The artist was pining for inspiration to strike.

C2 Despite his success, he still found himself pining for something more in life.

Examples of pining in a Sentence

formal She spent her days pining for her lost love, unable to move on.

informal He's been pining for that new video game for weeks now.

slang I saw her pining over that celebrity at the concert last night.

figurative The tree stood tall, its branches reaching out as if pining for the sky.

Grammatical Forms of pining

past tense

pined

plural

pinings

comparative

more pining

superlative

most pining

present tense

pine

future tense

will pine

perfect tense

have pined

continuous tense

is pining

singular

pining

positive degree

pining

infinitive

to pine

gerund

pining

participle

pining

Origin and Evolution of pining

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Old English
Story behind the word: The word 'pining' originated from the Old English word 'pinian' meaning to torture or torment.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the meaning of 'pining' shifted from torment to longing or yearning, typically for something unattainable.