The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word YEARNED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
Y
E
A
R
N
E
D
More clues leading to the result YEARNED
- Did long study, returning after some time
- Longed for, tranquillity, ultimately gained
- Longed for deanery to be given makeover
- Expressed longing for period of time with new edition
- Pined for salary received in Japan?
- Y Pined for time to renovate den
- Desired some time home in retirement
- Had strong desire to restore deanery
- Did long November come early within accounting period?
- Longed to be scholarly, given new head
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Pined" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case pined = yearned.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does YEARNED mean?
YEARNED verb- To long, have a strong desire (for something).
- To long for something in the past with melancholy, nostalgically.
- To have strong feelings of love, sympathy, affection, etc. (toward someone).
- To be pained or distressed; to grieve; to mourn.
- To pain; to grieve; to vex.
- To curdle, as milk.