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 of crave

• 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

Rather than serving as a unifying force, an outlet away from politics, which fans crave and have cherished for decades, the league can, and has become another battleground in America's ongoing culture wars. —Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026

The tiny glow-boosting beads burst upon contact to support elasticity and collagen production, making this an especially good pick for mature skin craving more cushion and bounce. —Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 June 2026

This approach is likely to be useful, but for those who crave real understanding of how the genome, and ultimately life itself, works, a computational black box will never suffice. —Philip Ball, Quanta Magazine, 18 June 2026

Gourmand perfumes, scents built around edible, dessert-like notes, continue to dominate because shoppers are craving comfort and nostalgia. —Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 18 June 2026

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