What does hanker mean?
To hanker is to have a strong, persistent wish for something, often something pleasurable or long-awaited. The verb is familiar but slightly old-fashioned in many contexts, and the familiar phrase “hanker after” gives it a wistful, yearning quality. A speaker may hanker for a return to the sea, hanker after a particular place, or hanker to see an old friend again. In informal British and US English, “hanker for” is conversational, while “hanker after” sounds more literary. The noun “hanker,” meaning a strong or persistent desire, is chiefly British and less common than its verb use. Compared with broader words such as “want” or “desire,” “hanker” conveys a more intense and emotional inclination. It can therefore be useful for describing an urge that feels enduring rather than momentary, though in ordinary American usage “crave” or “yearn for” may sound more natural.
To have a strong or persistent desire for something.
"By winter, she was hanking for the warmth and brightness of her native country."
Common patterns are “hanker for” and the more old-fashioned or literary “hanker after.”
A strong or persistent desire for something.
"He had a lifelong hanker for life at sea."
The noun is chiefly British and informal.
The plural is grammatically regular but rarely needed because the noun is chiefly British, informal, and not very common.
"The magazine caters to hankers for adventure and distant travel."
Hanker after something: the old-fashioned phrase carries a wistful sense of longing that a plainer word such as “want” often lacks.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of hanker
The English word is an early borrowing from Dutch “hankeren,” meaning “to cling to” or “to long for,” based on “hank,” meaning a hold or grasp. Its German relative “hankern” likewise means “to long for” and reflects the word’s shared Germanic origin. English later developed both the verb and the less common noun meaning a strong desire.
Related word forms
How hanker is actually used
The construction “hanker after” is literary or old-fashioned, while “hanker for” is more conversational. In American English, “crave” or “yearn for” may sound more natural.
Easily confused with hanker
A banker is someone who works in finance or manages money, whereas a hanker is someone who feels a strong desire for something.