crave

verb

Save Word

\ 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

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 Using short and concise videos to share regular updates from your CEO can help personalize the experience that your supporters and donors crave. — Expert Panel®, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2021 Bitcoin's wild fluctuations, in fact, represent the opposite of the safety that companies crave in handling their war chests. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2021 Social clubs also offer another thing that people crave: bragging rights. — BostonGlobe.com, 11 July 2021 By now, the genre is so familiar, audiences crave some fresh variation on the formula. — Peter Debruge, Variety, 31 Jan. 2022 All humans crave tactile engagement, but kids really need it. — Elissa Strauss, CNN, 29 Dec. 2021 Others crave the collegiality of the gym (or the break room). — Sean Gregory, Time, 12 Nov. 2021 Suddenly, the court opened up in a whole new way — if coaches crave spacing on offense, this was super-spacing. — Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Apr. 2022 And what the writers decide, not unreasonably, is that women crave the empowerment of looking, rather than the banality of being looked at. — Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2022 See More

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.