hanker

UK: /ˈhæŋkə^r/ US: /ˈhæŋkɚ/ ,(hang′kər)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

han•ker /ˈhæŋkɚ/   v. 

1. to have a restless longing or desire for: [~ + after + object]
   hankering after friendship.
   [~ + for + object]
   The nation hankered for peace.
   [~ + to + verb]
   They hankered to have a place in the country.

han•ker•ing, n. 

[countable] a hankering for sweets.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

han•ker  (hang′kər), v.i. 

1. to have a restless or incessant longing (often fol. by after, for, or an infinitive).

• early Dutch dialect, dialectal hankeren (cognate with Dutch hunkeren), frequentative of hangen to hang
• 1595–1605

han′ker•er, n. 
Synonyms

See yearn. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

hanker / ˈhæŋkə/ verb

1. followed by for, after, or an infinitive: to have a yearning (for something or to do something)

Etymology: 17th Century: probably from Dutch dialect hankeren

ˈhankerer noun

ˈhankering noun