English → Latin
“longing” in Latin
appetōto strive for, reach after (something), try to get; to attack, fall or seize upon, assault, assail; to approach, draw niappetītiōThe act of grasping at or reaching after something.; A passionate longing or striving for something, strong desire, impucupiditāsdesire (deemed good, neutral or bad); lust, passion; cupidity, avarice, greed, covetousnesscupīdōdesire, longing, especially amorous desire, eagerness; lust, passion, greedaviditāsAn eagerness for something, avidity, longing, desire; covetousness, greed, avarice; gluttony, hungerdēsīderiumlonging, desire, wish (especially for something once possessed); grief, regret (desire for something lost); need, necess
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
longing
appetitus, appetitio, appetentia (instinctive longing): cupiditas: cupido (chiefly poetical; earnest desire): aviditas (greedy desire): desiderium (desire, with a sense of want): a longing for food, cibi cupiditas, aviditas or appetentia; cibi appetendi aviditas.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for longing?
- The usual Latin words for “longing” are appetō, appetītiō, cupiditās; also cupīdō, aviditās, dēsīderium. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.