hanker
verb

- to have a strong or persistent desire

- to have a strong wish for something, especially if you cannot or should not have it

The Cambridge Dictionary, Oxford Languages

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WORD PHRASE ORIGIN

The verb "hanker" first appeared in English around 1600, initially meaning "to linger in expectation". By the 1640s, it had evolved to mean "to have a longing or craving for”. While its exact origin remains uncertain, linguists have proposed some likely connections.

The most widely accepted theory suggests that "hanker" comes from Flemish hankeren, which is related to the Dutch word hunkeren, both meaning "to long for".

Digging deeper, "hanker" may ultimately derive from Proto-Germanic hankōną, meaning "to hang” which makes sense when we consider the notion of "hanging" in the send of "lingering about" or "hanging around".

Over time, "hanker" has become closely associated with cravings and desires, often for relatively minor things like food or material possessions, but also for more significant longings, such as a desire for a new job or to reconnect with an old friend.

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WILDE WEST QUOTES

"I can resist everything except temptation." - Oscar Wilde

"The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it." - Oscar Wilde

"I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it." - Mae West

"When I'm good, I'm very good, but when I'm bad, I'm better." - Mae West

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SYNONYMS

ache for, aspire to, be bent on, be consumed by, be crazy about, be desirous of, be drawn to, be dying for, be eaten up with, be hungry for, be in the mood for, be mad for, be obsessed with, be sweet on, be taken with, be thirsty for, burn for, carry a torch for, clamor for, covet, crave, craving, cream for, cry for, desire, die for, dream of, drool over, fancy, get the hots for, give anything for, HANKER after, hankering, have a craving/spot for (a thing for, a yen for, an itch for, eyes for), hunger, hunger after, hunger for, itch, itch for, long for, lust, lust after, moon over, need, partial to, pine, pine away for, pine for, salivate over, set one's heart on, sigh for, slobber over, thirst, thirst for, urge, want, wish, wish for, yearn, yearn for, yen for

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“Some people HANKER for chocolate. I prefer salty snacks,... how about yourself?”

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