crave

C3R1A1V4E1
/kɹeɪv/

verb

To desire strongly, so as to satisfy an appetite; to long or yearn for.

“to crave drugs”

Similar
hungerthirststarvelust
OriginMiddle English craven ← Old English crafian ← Proto-West Germanic *krafōn →
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

verbcrave (third-person singular simple present craves, present participle craving, simple past and past participle craved)

present singular third person craves · participle present craving · participle past craved · past craved

  1. ambitransitiveTo desire strongly, so as to satisfy an appetite; to long or yearn for.

    to crave drugs

    2 more examples

    to crave for peace

    to crave after wealth

  2. archaicliterarytransitiveTo ask for earnestly; to beg or demand, as from a figure of authority.

    I humbly crave your indulgence to read this letter until the end.

    3 more examples

    My deeds upon my head! I crave the law, The penalty and forfeit of my bond.

    c. 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, act IV scene i

    I crave your honour's pardon.

    c. 1603-04, William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure, act II scene ii

    Joseph […] went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Mark 15:43
  3. obsoletetransitiveTo call for; to require as a course of action.

    It is the bright day that brings forth the adder and that craves wary walking

    1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]
nouncrave (plural craves)

plural craves

  1. Scots lawA formal application to a court to make a particular order.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbhave a craving, appetite, or great desire for

Similar
hungerthirststarvelust
Broader
desirewant
Also see
aspirecastchoosedecidehungerlustpantstarvethirstwant

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*krafjaną“to demand”
  2. Proto-West Germanic*krafōn
  3. Old Englishcrafian“to crave, ask, implore, demand, summon”
  4. Middle Englishcraven
  5. Englishcrave

From Middle English craven, from Old English crafian (“to crave, ask, implore, demand, summon”), from Proto-West Germanic *krafōn, from Proto-Germanic *krafjaną (“to demand”). Cognate with Danish kræve (“to demand, require”), Swedish kräva (“to crave, demand”), Icelandic krefja (“to demand”), Norwegian kreve (“to demand”).

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic اِشْتَهَى
  • اِشْتَهَى (ištahā)(transitive) to want strongly
Bulgarian жадувам, копнея
  • жадувам (žaduvam)(transitive) to want strongly
  • копнея (kopneja)(transitive) to want strongly
Catalan ansiar (valencià), anhelar
  • ansiar (valencià)(transitive) to want strongly
  • anhelar(transitive) to want strongly
  • delejar(transitive) to want strongly
  • implorarto ask earnestly
Chinese Mandarin 渴望, 熱望 /热望
  • 渴望 (kěwàng)(transitive) to want strongly
  • 熱望 /热望 (rèwàng)(transitive) to want strongly
Czech žadonit, dychtit
  • žadonit(transitive) to want strongly
  • dychtit(transitive) to want strongly
  • toužit po(transitive) to want strongly
Dutch verlangen
  • verlangen(transitive) to want strongly
Esperanto deziregi
  • deziregi(transitive) to want strongly
Finnish haluta kovasti, himoita
  • haluta kovasti(transitive) to want strongly
  • himoita(transitive) to want strongly
French souhaiter, désirer
  • souhaiter(transitive) to want strongly
  • désirer(transitive) to want strongly
  • implorerto ask earnestly
German sich sehnen, begehren
  • sich sehnen(transitive) to want strongly
  • begehren(transitive) to want strongly
  • erbittento ask earnestly
  • erflehento ask earnestly
Hebrew הִשְׁתּוֹקֵק
  • הִשְׁתּוֹקֵק (hishtoqéq)(transitive) to want strongly
Hungarian vágyik, vágyódik
  • vágyik(transitive) to want strongly
  • vágyódik(transitive) to want strongly
  • sóvárog(transitive) to want strongly
Italian bramare, desiderare
  • bramare(transitive) to want strongly
  • desiderare(transitive) to want strongly
Japanese 切望する, 懇願する
  • 切望する (setsubō suru)(transitive) to want strongly
  • 懇願する (kongan suru)to ask earnestly
Latin dēsīderō, avēo
  • dēsīderō(transitive) to want strongly
  • avēo(transitive) to want strongly
Latvian alkt, kārot
  • alkt(transitive) to want strongly
  • kārot(transitive) to want strongly
Lithuanian geisti, trokšti
  • geisti(transitive) to want strongly
  • trokšti(transitive) to want strongly
Māori warawara, kaimomotu
  • warawara(transitive) to want strongly
  • kaimomotu(transitive) to want strongly
  • kumama(transitive) to want strongly
  • kohekohe(transitive) to want strongly
  • matainaina(transitive) to want strongly
  • pīrangi(transitive) to want strongly
Persian هوس کردن
  • هوس کردن (havas kardan)(transitive) to want strongly
Polish pożądać, pragnąć
  • pożądać(transitive) to want strongly
  • pragnąć(transitive) to want strongly
  • błagaćto ask earnestly
Portuguese ansiar
  • ansiar(transitive) to want strongly
Romanian dori, jindui
  • dori(transitive) to want strongly
  • jindui(transitive) to want strongly
  • implorato ask earnestly
Russian жа́ждать
  • жа́ждать (žáždatʹ)(transitive) to want strongly
Spanish ansiar, amalayar
  • ansiar(transitive) to want strongly
  • amalayar(transitive) to want strongly
  • cuitarse(intransitive) to want strongly
  • reventar(intransitive) to want strongly
  • alamparse(intransitive) to want strongly
  • tener ganas/gana(intransitive) to want strongly
Swedish sukta efter
  • sukta efter(transitive) to want strongly
Turkish can atmak, çok istemek
  • can atmak(transitive) to want strongly
  • çok istemek(transitive) to want strongly

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with crave

savedavewaveslavecavegraveWAVbravefavebehaveraveshavewaivepavenavestavesuaveclaveengraveMaeveenslaveknavelavetrave
All rhymes →

Anagrams

carvecavervarec
Cite this entry
APA

crave. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crave

MLA

“crave.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crave. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “crave,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crave.

Source: crave on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.