crave

verb

ˈkrāv 

craved; craving

transitive verb

1

: to ask for earnestly : beg, demand

crave a pardon for neglect

2

a

: to want greatly : need

craves drugs

craves attention

b

: to yearn for

crave a vanished youth

intransitive verb

: to have a strong or inward desire

craves after affection

craver noun

Synonyms

• want
• enjoy
• desire

Choose the Right Synonym for crave

desire, wish, want, crave, covet mean to have a longing for.

desire stresses the strength of feeling and often implies strong intention or aim.

desires to start a new life

wish sometimes implies a general or transient longing especially for the unattainable.

wishes for permanent world peace

want specifically suggests a felt need or lack.

wants to have a family

crave stresses the force of physical appetite or emotional need.

craves sweets

covet implies strong envious desire.

covets his rise to fame

Examples of crave in a Sentence

Like many celebrities, he craves attention.

I was craving french fries, so I pulled into the nearest fast-food restaurant.

Recent Examples on the Web

Advertisers still crave the broad, simultaneous viewership such extravaganzas generate, and marketers that in the past might not have spent heavily on sports now see new reasons to do so. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025

This was the childhood Prince William so craved. —Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Directed by Joe Lam and produced by Joe Barbagallo and Brent Trotter, the film tells the story of Alessa and Chris, a young couple whose lives unravel when Alessa becomes pregnant with a child that craves blood. —Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025

As long as readers continue to crave that liminal space between dreams and reality, Labyrinth and its imaginative literary descendants will endure. —Logan Karlie september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English crafian; akin to Old Norse krefja to crave, demand

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for crave

• brave
• cave
• clave
• fave
• gave
• grave
• knave
• lave
• nave
• pave
• rave
• shave

Kids Definition

crave

verb

ˈkrāv 

craved; craving

1

: to ask earnestly : beg

crave a person's pardon

2

: to have a strong desire for

crave a glass of water

crave affection