VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

crave

verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/kreɪv/
US/kreɪv/

Meanings

  1. verbtransitive

    To want something very strongly, especially a particular food or drink.

    Grammar: Takes an object: she craves chocolate.

    Patterns

    • crave something
    • crave for something

    I always crave something salty in the afternoon.

    Pregnant women often crave unusual foods.

    After a week of hiking, he craved a hot shower.

  2. verbtransitive

    To badly need or long for something that is not food, such as attention, calm or approval.

    Grammar: Often with abstract nouns: crave attention, crave peace.

    Patterns

    • crave attention
    • crave a break

    Some children crave attention from adults.

    After the noisy week, she craved peace and quiet.

    He craved his parents' approval more than anything.

  3. verbtransitiveformalarchaic

    To ask for something earnestly, in a humble or old-fashioned way.

    Grammar: Formal and archaic, as in crave pardon.

    Patterns

    • crave pardon
    • crave permission

    I crave your pardon for the interruption, my lord.

    The knight craved a moment of the king's time.

    They craved leave to speak.

Word forms

third person singularcraves
past tensecraved
past participlecraved
-ing formcraving

Common combinations

crave attention
The puppy craves attention all day.
crave sugar
When I am tired, I crave sugar.
crave adventure
She craves adventure and hates routine.
crave comfort
On cold nights we crave comfort food.
desperately crave
He desperately craved a cold drink.

Synonyms and how they differ

long for
Long for suggests a gentle, emotional yearning, while crave suggests a stronger, physical urge.
desire
Desire is more general and often romantic, while crave is more often about a powerful need.
hunger for
Hunger for is similar and often used for abstract things like success, while crave is common with food.
yearn
Yearn is more literary and emotional, while crave is common in everyday speech.

Opposites

dislikeloathe

Word family

craving noun
a strong desire for something
craver noun
a person who craves something, rare
craving adjective
describes a strong wanting, as in a craving look

Commonly confused: crave or carve?

crave vs carve

Carve means to cut shapes from wood or meat, while crave means to want strongly.

Practice

Which sentence uses crave correctly?

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “crave”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words