"曾经渴求"可以用英文表达为"to have longed for"或"to have yearned for"。这两个短语都表示一种强烈的渴望或渴求的感觉。

"To have longed for"来自中古英语中的"long"，意思是"想念，盼望"。"To have yearned for"来自中古英语中的"yearn"，意思是"渴望，思慕"。

下面是一些例句：

She had longed for a chance to travel abroad. (她渴望有机会出国旅行。)
He had yearned for the opportunity to work on a big project. (他渴望有机会参与一个大型项目。)
I had longed for the day when I could retire and relax. (我渴望那一天，能够退休并放松。)
They had yearned for the chance to start their own business. (他们渴望有机会开办自己的生意。)