crave
Americanverb (used with object)
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craves,
present (3rd person singular)
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craved,
past participle, past
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craving
present participle
-
to long for; want greatly; desire eagerly.
to crave sweets; to crave affection.
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to require; need.
a problem craving prompt attention.
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to ask earnestly for (something); beg for.
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to ask (a person) earnestly for something or to do something.
verb (used without object)
-
craves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
craved,
past participle, past
-
craving
present participle
verb
-
to desire intensely; long (for)
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(tr) to need greatly or urgently
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(tr) to beg or plead for
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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cravesimple
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cravessimple
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have cravedperfect
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has cravedperfect
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am cravingprogressive
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are cravingprogressive
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is cravingprogressive
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have been cravingperfect progressive
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has been cravingperfect progressive
Past
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cravedsimple
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had cravedperfect
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was cravingprogressive
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were cravingprogressive
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had been cravingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of crave
First recorded before 1000; Middle English craven, Old English crafian; akin to Old Norse krefja “to demand, lay claim to”
Explanation
To crave something is to have a great desire for it, as one might crave love, fame, or French fries. Crave is typically used in the context of emotional or physical desires rather than practical needs. For example, most people crave a hug or a cup of hot cocoa every now and then, but it’s unusual to crave a new filing cabinet or tie rack — although if that’s how you feel, don’t let us interfere. Interestingly, crave comes from an Old English word meaning “demand.” Perhaps our ancestors were more assertive about getting what they wanted.
Vocabulary lists containing crave
Vocabulary from Beyoncé's "Lemonade"
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Instead of "Said": Words for Asking and Offering
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The Balcony Scene from "Romeo and Juliet"
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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:
So that steak you crave will only bring you out in a sweat.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Midshipmen crave occasional breaks from thinking about school, if they have breaks at all.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
Organizers and instructors in major U.S. cities say they’re seeing increased interest post-pandemic among Generation Z and millennials, who crave in-person, screen-free experiences.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
Teenagers don’t have the disposable income—or the easily accessible credit cards—that advertisers crave.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
Faerie fruit, which muddles the mind, which makes humans crave it enough to starve themselves for another taste, which makes us pliant and suggestible and ridiculous.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Yet David craves Monica’s maternal affection as if he were real — and for all intents and purposes, he is.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
It’s unlikely Mr. Trump would agree that the truth he craves is to be found in this book.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Right now, Parsons craves some of that normalcy.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026
It now looks possible El-Sayed may get the opportunity—and test—he craves.
From Slate ● Apr. 29, 2026
Forbid a man something and he craves it like his soul’s salvation, all the more so when that something is the source of incomparable riches.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
On Saturday, Belfast's Agyarko gets the opportunity he has craved since first lacing up the gloves when he faces IBF light-middleweight champion Josh Kelly in Saudi Arabia.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Honestly, I hung in through the rather slow opening of this season in large part because I craved the catharsis of seeing it all work out in the end.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
And yet, like many a restless wanderer, he craved a sense of place and permanence, which in one way or another is the theme of all his houses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
Trump was born in Queens, attended Knicks games for years and has long craved the validation of New York crowds.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
They lived in a fertile valley, the kind the government in Khartoum craved.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
Quazza sees a generation "really craving that connectedness...and that's what draws many people to the kitchen."
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
But there's another alternative for anyone craving a live music fix, and it's right on your doorstep.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
What advice might you have for folks who recognize that they’re craving something different from how they’re presently experiencing their day-to-day realities but can’t see how to change it?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026
It really depends on your taste preferences and how much spice you’re craving in the moment.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026
Feeds me with what I’ve been craving all along.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
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.
