longing for home

Meaning

This expression refers to a strong, emotional desire or yearning to return to one's home or native country. It is a formal and evocative way of describing intense homesickness, often used in travel journals, literature, or reflective conversations.

Examples

• After six months of solo travel across Asia, she felt a deep longing for home.

  After six months of solo travel across Asia, she felt a deep longing for home.

• The letters he wrote during his stay abroad were filled with a quiet longing for home.

  The letters he wrote during his stay abroad were filled with a quiet longing for home.

• Watching the families gather at the airport triggered a sudden longing for home in him.

  Watching the families gather at the airport triggered a sudden longing for home in him.

• Despite the beauty of the European countryside, a persistent longing for home remained.

  Despite the beauty of the European countryside, a persistent longing for home remained.

• He tried to focus on his studies, but his longing for home made it difficult to concentrate.

  He tried to focus on his studies, but his longing for home made it difficult to concentrate.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I have a longing to home after the long trip.

  ✓ I have a longing for home after the long trip.

  The noun 'longing' requires the preposition 'for' when expressing a desire for a place.

• ✗ She was longing home during her semester abroad.

  ✓ She was longing for home during her semester abroad.

  If used as a verb ('to long'), you still need the preposition 'for' before the noun 'home'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• After spending the holidays alone in a hotel, she was filled with a ___.

  💡 A strong desire to return to one's family and house.

  Show answer

  longing for home

• No amount of sightseeing could cure his deep ___.

  💡 Yearning to go back to where he lives.

  Show answer

  longing for home