craving
Americannoun
-
cravings
plural
noun
Synonym Usage
See desire.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of craving
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at crave, -ing 1
Explanation
A craving is an intense desire for something really particular. If you have a craving for pickled herring, a tuna sandwich just won't do. Must. Have. Pickled. Herring. Craving is the noun that comes from the verb crave, which comes from the Old English word crafian, meaning "to demand, beg." When we talk about cravings, it's almost like the body and not the mind that is demanding something. Pregnant women famously have crazy cravings, sending their partners to the store in the middle of the night for pickles or toffee. Some people have cravings for power or fame: the desire is so strong they can't let it go.
Vocabulary lists containing craving
Eat Your Words
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Sugar Changed the World
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The Tale of Despereaux
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Hearing it and listening can create more room to notice when we’re depleted, sad, overwhelmed, or craving pleasure too.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
“I don’t have a great sense of whether he understands how much the market is craving that kind of information.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
Dr Wasim Ahmed, a senior lecturer in marketing at the University of Hull, says it comes down to people craving a sense of control, curiosity and relatability.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
This ongoing appreciation of silent movies speaks to a common craving for simple communal appreciation of analog pleasures.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026
Dennis had the craving, so he did, for a nice sheep’s head with a bit of cabbage and a spud so up with me to Barry the butcher with the last few shillings I had.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
After nine months of taking it in cycles, he says his cravings for sugar and junk food have gone.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
These findings are reshaping our understanding of how the brain processes rewards and have put the spotlight firmly on the lateral septum as the home of cravings.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
One friend says when the online-shopping cravings strike, she gives herself permission to add whatever she wants to her cart—but she has to wait 24 hours before checking out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
“Beware of coffee enemas,” reads the subject line of a post from a woman who did them regularly for a decade and reports feelings of exhaustion, spaciness and cravings when she tries to stop.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
The tastes of Serena Joy are a strange blend: hard lust for quality, soft sentimental cravings.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
