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:
If not tacos, I’ll maybe be craving some Thai food.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Understanding this link between craving and consuming is central to understanding addiction.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
It had, in other words, the certainty of a craving and the vagueness of a dream.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
A month later, he had 95% of a 4.5cm brain tumour removed in surgery - and says he remembers waking up craving KFC.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
I was craving picadillo, rice, black beans, cafe con lecbe, Cuban bread, and most of all, Mama’s flan.
From "The Red Umbrella" by Christina Gonzalez
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
In anticipation of his 11th stand-up comedy special, “Tea & Scotch,” Oswalt appeared on Delish’s “SNACKS!” to discuss all things food and cravings.
From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2026
Sometimes we’d get to ride my great-uncle’s beautiful black horses, and Mamá Jacinta would spoil us with food, no matter how silly our cravings were.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
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.
