- present participle of crave.
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:
Understanding this link between craving and consuming is central to understanding addiction.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
In my house, focaccia is almost a catch-all format for any ingredient I’m craving or trying to get rid of.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
Quazza sees a generation "really craving that connectedness...and that's what draws many people to the kitchen."
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
Not far from the big screen, an Egyptian restaurant pop-up is getting ready for the match - and for fans craving a taste of home.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
“I had no idea, Wormtail, that you were craving more dangerous assignments,” said Snape silkily.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Hunger hormones surge, food cravings intensify and energy expenditure drops.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
Like our atavistic cravings for fat and sugar, many cognitive biases also may have made more sense in an earlier environment—what Mr. Jones calls “time-shifted rationality.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
She says she struggles with overeating and cravings during her period.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 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
They had bad habits, silly cravings and just about every weakness a person might have.
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
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.
