'has been longing' is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to indicate that someone has been wishing for something for a long period of time. For example: "She has been longing for this moment for years."
I SUSPECT that our species has been longing for "smart homes" since prehistoric times.
"The comeback country" – a payoff line that George Osborne has been longing to deliver for five years.
Only Time Warner would be left out, since it would then be stuck with AOL, a troubled child it has been longing to rid itself of with honour.A combination of Yahoo! and AOL, by contrast, would be much less impressive.
Once he has hit bottom, he has the revelation he has been longing for ever since he stopped believing in God: that life has no meaning other than what one makes of it.
A proposed overhaul of immigration law gives Silicon Valley much of what it has been longing for, including an easier green card route for foreigners educated in math and science, Somini Sengupta reports in The New York Times.
Mo Willems's Pigeon in Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus has been longing for his opportunity to seize the wheel, but is sure his moment will never come.
Glamorgan's Craig Meschede told BBC Wales Sport: "It's been a fantastic day and it's a massive achievement for me, something I've been longing for for a long time.
Marvel fans have been longing for a Planet Hulk movie for as long as the MCU has existed - the comic book story revolving around the Green Guy being tricked by the Illuminati into leaving Earth.
Marvel fans have been longing for a Planet Hulk movie for as long as the MCU has existed - the comic book story revolving around the Hulk being tricked by the Illuminati into leaving Earth.
We've been longing for a stay at these quaint inns and hotels all winter long and now they're ready to welcome us (and you) back.
This is the dish I've been longing to prepare.
