pining

Verb

pine (third-person singular simple present pines, present participle pining, simple past and past participle pined)

1. (intransitive) To languish; to lose flesh or wear away through distress.
   • Why pine not I, and die in this distress?c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo[we], edited by Tho[mas] Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published...

   Synonyms:

   languish, droop

2. (intransitive) To long, to yearn so much that it causes suffering.
   • Laura was pining for Bill all the time he was gone.

   Synonyms:

   long, yearn

3. (transitive) To grieve or mourn for.

   Synonyms:

   bewail, lament, afterthink, becry, begrieve, bemoan, bemourn, beweep, condole, deplore

4. (transitive) To inflict pain upon; to torment.
   • Which way, O Lord, which way can I look, and not see some sad examples of misery? […] [O]ne is pined in prison; another, tortured on the rack; a third, languisheth under the loss of a dear son, or wife, or husband.1648, Joseph Hall, “The Breathings of the Devout Soul”, in Josiah Pratt, editor, The Works of the Right Reverend Father in God, Joseph Hall, D.D. […], volume VI (Devotional Works), London: […]...

   Synonyms:

   afflict, torment, torture, ache, aggrieve, agonize, anguish, dere, excruciate, hurt

See all 12 meanings of pine