Yearn means to grieve or to have a strong desire or need for something. The noun yearning, similarly, refers to a longing or unfulfilled desire or need.
But mostly, she puts away her subway book as she steps out of the train doors and yearns for a longer commute, something other reading riders admitted to yesterday. (NY Times)
Instead, Wall Street told us that the solution was less regulation. Convinced it could shirk risk, it chafed at restriction, yearning to pursue reward without consequence. (Houston Chronicle)
Is there a specific difference among the words long, crave, yearn and look forward to?
Spontaneously, I’d say that “look forward to” is weaker (?).
@Rod, I agree with Erik.