crave

play

verb \ˈkrāv\

Definition of crave

craved

;

craving

transitive verb
1 : to ask for earnestly : beg, demand crave a pardon for neglect
2a : to want greatly : need craves drugs craves attentionb : to yearn for crave a vanished youth
intransitive verb
: to have a strong or inward desire craves after affection

craver

noun

See crave defined for English-language learners

See crave defined for kids

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 of crave from the Web

That can be frustrating for someone who craves time on the water but has a busy life.

— rick barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Boat club memberships can bypass hassles of ownership," 5 July 2017
Behind her in a large enclosure, several goats and sheep, a pig and one large attention-craving goat named Bart meandered.

— sheryl devore, Lake County News-Sun, "Couple on mission to rescue and teach respect for wild, exotic creatures," 2 July 2017
Instead of taking away from the simple joy of the bacon, the glaze jacks up the flavor in another category the body craves just as much.

— andy staples, SI.com, "Where to eat, drink near Miramar Beach, Florida," 30 June 2017
Sands says that the Americans believed giving Canada a taste of autonomy would leave them craving more.

— dylan c. robertson, The Christian Science Monitor, "As US pulls back from world, Canada steps up to fill the gap," 30 June 2017
SHOP Adidas: mrporter.com Adidas knows how to create demand; this is a sneaker fans of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou have craved for years.

— christine flammia, Esquire, "Adidas Finally Made 'Zissou' Sneakers, but You Can't Get Them," 29 June 2017
This summertime collaboration comes just in time for our mid-season wardrobe slump, so a brand new pair of frames is just the thing our look has been craving.

— avery matera, Teen Vogue, "Kylie Jenner Launches Quay Australia Sunglasses Collection," 29 June 2017
In times such as these, when even Twitter accounts become fractious, some people crave protest singers.

— jeffrey lee puckett, The Courier-Journal, "Singer James McMurtry is a man of few words, but they're the right ones," 21 June 2017
The combination of alcohol’s opening up your appetite coupled with that tendency to eat and crave high-calorie, high-fat foods like wings, nachos, and pizza is what could lead you to trouble.

— stephanie lee, GQ, "How to Drink Beer All Summer Long Without Getting a Beer Gut (According to Science)," 19 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of crave

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of 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

CRAVE Defined for English Language Learners

crave

play

verb

Definition of crave for English Language Learners

: to have a very strong desire for (something)

CRAVE Defined for Kids

crave

play

verb \ˈkrāv\

Definition of crave for Students

craved

;

craving

1 : to want greatly : long for crave chocolate The stray dog craved affection.
2 : to ask for earnestly “Sire, there is a messenger from the enemy who craves audience.” — C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe