crave
[kreyv]
- to long for; want greatly; desire eagerly: to crave sweets; to crave affection.
- to require; need: a problem craving prompt attention.
- to ask earnestly for (something); beg for.
- to ask (a person) earnestly for something or to do something.
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- to beg or plead (usually followed by for).
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Origin of crave
before 1000; Middle English craven, Old English crafian; akin to Old Norse krefja to demand, lay claim to
Synonyms
See more synonyms for crave on Thesaurus.com1. yearn for, hunger for.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for crave
Contemporary Examples
White Southerners crave an innocent past, a personal distance from the sins of their ancestors.
The mad tend to crave it, many of the sane crave it, but the wise worry about its long-term side effects.
David Mitchell’s ‘The Bone Clocks’ Is Fun But Mostly Empty CaloriesWilliam O’Connor
September 14, 2014
The irony in it all is that our bodies need, if not crave, Vitamin D—and more than a chewable tablet.
But no matter that difference, we crave to own and co-opt, rather than necessarily understand, it.
The most popular dish is the totto spicy ramen, a standout for those who crave heat.
Historical Examples
"I crave pardon," interrupted Aspasia, with haughty impatience.
PhilotheaLydia Maria Child
And oh, sir,” added Stephen, “may we crave a drop of water for our dog?
The Armourer's PrenticesCharlotte M. Yonge
Humanity hungers for international peace, and we crave it with all mankind.
I crave for the balm of Nature, the anodyne of solitude, the breath of Mother Earth.
Ballads of a BohemianRobert W. Service
The boon I crave is that you will place it in my hands and let me die still grasping it.
The White CompanyArthur Conan Doyle
crave
- (when intr, foll by for or after) to desire intensely; long (for)
- (tr) to need greatly or urgently
- (tr) to beg or plead for
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Word Origin
Old English crafian; related to Old Norse krefja to demand, krǣfr strong; see craft
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for crave
v.
Old English crafian "ask, implore, demand by right," from North Germanic *krabojan (cf. Old Norse krefja "to demand," Danish kræve, Swedish kräva); perhaps related to craft in its base sense of "power." Current sense "to long for" is c.1400, probably through intermediate meaning "to ask very earnestly" (c.1300). Related: Craved; craving.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper