Crave

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1. Definition + Rich Everyday Explanation

Crave (verb) = to want something intensely and urgently; to have a powerful, almost uncontrollable desire for something.

“Crave” is stronger than “want” and more urgent than “desire.” When you crave something, you don’t just think it would be nice to have — you feel it in your body, you can’t stop thinking about it, and the wanting becomes almost physical. It’s the difference between thinking “I’d like some chocolate” and feeling “I NEED chocolate right now.”

The word works powerfully in two domains. First, physical cravings: food, sugar, cigarettes, alcohol, caffeine, sleep. Pregnant women crave strange food combinations. Smokers trying to quit crave cigarettes. Dieters crave the foods they’ve forbidden themselves. These cravings feel biological — your body seems to demand something, and resisting takes real effort.

Second, emotional and psychological cravings: attention, love, approval, excitement, freedom, connection. Humans crave intimacy. Children crave their parents’ attention. Lonely people crave companionship. Bored people crave stimulation. These cravings are just as powerful and consuming as physical ones — perhaps more so, because they’re harder to satisfy.

“Crave” carries a sense of vulnerability. Admitting you crave something means acknowledging you’re not fully in control, that something has power over you. This makes it an honest, emotionally revealing word.

Examples from the street:

• “I’ve been craving pizza all week — let’s just order one tonight” → I’ve had an intense, persistent desire for pizza that won’t go away
• “He craves attention and will do anything to be noticed” → he has a deep psychological need for people to focus on him
• “After months of lockdown, I was craving human contact” → I desperately needed to be around other people

2. Most Common Patterns

• crave + noun → intensely want something (crave chocolate, crave attention, crave freedom)
• crave + -ing → rare but possible (craving seeing her again)
• be craving + noun → currently experiencing intense desire
• craving (noun) → the intense desire itself (I have a craving for…)
• satisfy/fulfil a craving → give yourself what you’ve been wanting
• fight/resist a craving → try not to give in to the desire
• craving for + noun → intense desire directed at something specific

3. Idioms

Note: There are no common idioms directly containing “crave” — these are related expressions:

• have a sweet tooth → regularly crave and enjoy sweet foods; a persistent desire for sugary things

  Example: “I have a terrible sweet tooth — I can’t walk past a bakery without buying something.”

• hunger for / thirst for → crave something intensely (often abstract things like success, knowledge, revenge)

  Example: “She has an incredible thirst for knowledge — she reads three books a week.”

4. Example Sentences

1. I’ve been craving sushi all day — fancy getting some for dinner?

   → I’ve had an intense desire for Japanese food since this morning; want to get some tonight?

2. Children crave stability and routine even when they seem to resist it

   → Young people deeply need consistency and predictability despite sometimes appearing to reject it.

3. After three weeks of healthy eating, I’m craving something greasy and unhealthy

   → Following an extended period of good food choices, I desperately want junk food.

4. She craves approval from her parents, even now as an adult

   → She still deeply needs her mother and father to validate and accept her choices.

5. The craving for cigarettes was worst in the first week after quitting

   → The intense desire to smoke was strongest during the initial days without them.

6. Some people crave excitement and adventure while others prefer quiet stability

   → Certain individuals deeply want thrills and risk; others need peace and predictability.

7. I’m trying to resist the craving but that cake looks incredible

   → I’m attempting not to give in to my desire, but that dessert is extremely tempting.

8. He craved recognition for his work but rarely received it

   → He desperately wanted people to acknowledge his contributions, but it seldom happened.

9. Pregnant women often crave unusual food combinations like pickles and ice cream

   → Expectant mothers frequently develop intense desires for strange mixtures of foods.

10. After months abroad, I was craving a proper cup of English tea

    → Following a long time in another country, I desperately wanted authentic tea from home.

5. Personal Examples

1. Students who crave quick results often get frustrated — language learning requires patience

   → Learners who desperately want immediate progress frequently become discouraged; acquiring a language takes time.

2. After teaching all day, I sometimes crave complete silence — just time with no words at all

   → Following hours of speaking and listening, I occasionally desperately need quiet and wordless moments.

6. Register: Neutral

✔ Native usage tips

• “Craving” as a noun is extremely common: “I have a craving for…” is how people naturally express sudden, intense desires
• For food, “craving” often implies something slightly guilty or indulgent — you crave chocolate cake, not salad
• “Crave attention” is a set phrase, often used critically to describe someone who seems needy or desperate to be noticed
• The word suggests the desire is somewhat beyond your control — stronger than choosing to want something
• Physical cravings (food, substances) and emotional cravings (love, approval) are equally common uses

✔ Similar expressions / words

• Want → much weaker and more neutral; crave implies intensity and urgency that want doesn’t have
• Desire → more formal and romantic; crave feels more physical and immediate
• Long for → similar intensity but more poetic and wistful; crave is more visceral and urgent