Meaning & use
craving for something
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Meanings
phrasecountable
A strong wish to have a particular thing, especially food, drink, or a habit-forming substance.
Grammar: Used as a countable noun phrase: you can say a craving for something or cravings for something.
Patterns
- a craving for something
- have a craving for something
- get a craving for something
- satisfy a craving for something
She had a sudden craving for something salty, so she opened a bag of chips.
After a week without sugar, he started getting cravings for something sweet every afternoon.
Pregnant women often report a craving for something sour or spicy.
phrasecountable
A strong desire to do or experience something, such as travel, excitement, or a return to a past activity.
Grammar: Often used with verbs like feel, have, or develop, and followed by for plus a noun or -ing form.
Patterns
- a craving for something
- feel a craving for something
- a craving for adventure
- a craving for excitement
Living in a small town gave her a craving for something more exciting.
He felt a craving for adventure after years of the same daily routine.
Her craving for something new led her to sign up for a pottery class.
Word forms
| plural | cravings for something |
|---|
Common combinations
- a craving for sugar
- Late at night she often gets a craving for sugar.
- a craving for chocolate
- Nothing satisfies a craving for chocolate like a square of dark chocolate.
- a craving for salt
- Athletes sometimes develop a craving for salt after a long run.
- satisfy a craving
- A quick walk to the bakery satisfied his craving for something warm and sweet.
- give in to a craving
- She tried not to give in to her craving for fried food.
- have a craving for
- I have a craving for something cold and fruity.
Synonyms and how they differ
- urge
- An urge is a sudden push to act, often without a specific object, while a craving is usually aimed at a particular thing you want to consume or experience.
- desire
- Desire is a more general and often more formal word for wanting something; a craving is stronger and more physical or emotional.
- longing
- Longing suggests a sad, lasting wish for something you miss, whereas a craving is more immediate and often about food or a habit.
- yen
- Yen is informal and means a mild longing for something; it is much weaker and less physical than a craving.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: craving for something or craving vs. carving?
craving for something vs craving vs. carving
A craving is a strong wish; a carving is a cut piece of cooked meat or a carved object. They sound similar, so check the vowel: crave has a long 'a' sound.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase is 'a craving for something', so 'for' is the only correct preposition. 'Craving of' and 'craving to' do not occur with this meaning, and 'craving at' is not used at all.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “craving for something”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.