crave

verb

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\ ˈkrāv

craved; craving

Definition of crave

transitive verb

1 : to ask for earnestly : beg, demand crave a pardon for neglect

2a : 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

Other Words from crave Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about crave

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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 The New Atheists craved the first kind of fundamentalism and now decry the latter. — Samuel James, National Review, "There Is No ‘Party of Science’," 14 Feb. 2020 The version of the West admired and craved by eastern Europeans was the anti-communist West of traditional nation states, in which liberalism was grounded in patriotism and protected by strong borders. — The Economist, "The ironies of revolution A love affair with liberal democracy that soured," 9 Jan. 2020 Skin care enthusiasts crave the sweet ingredient too. — Jennifer Ford, Essence, "This Is The Buzziest Skin Care Ingredient Of 2020," 3 Jan. 2020 The investigation is focused on Trump's efforts to push Ukraine to investigate his Democratic political opponents by withholding military aid and an Oval Office meeting craved by the country's new president. — Matthew Daly, Fortune, "House Approves Rules for Trump Impeachment Probe," 31 Oct. 2019 Johnson laughed his way to an Oscar nomination and a $155 million box office haul, proving audiences crave brand new stuff from world class filmmakers in a world of franchise overload. — Ben Flanagan | Bflanagan@al.com, al, "Our favorite movies from 2019," 6 Feb. 2020 In 2018, the heavy rains that locusts crave came with two cyclones, in May and October, that made landfall in nearly the same place in the southern Arabian Peninsula. — Matt Simon, Wired, "The Terrifying Science Behind the Locust Plagues of Africa," 5 Feb. 2020 The 16 Miami-Dade County teenagers — all of them juvenile offenders craving a second chance — soaked in the applause that the room full of NFL greats and dignitaries rained down upon them Friday night. — Mike Jones, USA TODAY, "Opinion: Colin Kaepernick doesn't exactly loom over the NFL at Super Bowl, but he's certainly not forgotten," 3 Feb. 2020 Specific vendors have yet to be announced, but Houstonians craving some crawfish can expect to find plenty of mudbugs at the all-day event. — Rebecca Hennes, Houston Chronicle, "All-you-can-eat crawfish festival headed for Houston next month," 29 Jan. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crave.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.