Meanings
craving1
plural cravings
- A strong desire; yearning.
The craving for cuteness is a psychological phenomenon that originally had the purpose of increasing the chances of a baby to survive […]
2007, Christine Locher, The Cult of Cuteness in Japanese Youth Culture, page 132 more examples
[W]e contrived to satisfy the cravings of thirst by suffering the shirts to become saturated, and then wringing them so as to let the grateful fluid trickle into our mouths.
1838, [Edgar Allan Poe], chapter XIII, in The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC, pages 122–123The list of potential victories you could achieve with your reset is long, and it includes a fafillion wins that have nothing to do with the scale: Fewer blemishes. Thicker hair. Less join pain. Reduced cravings. No midday energy slump.
2016, Melissa Hartwig, Food Freedom ForeverSynonyms: thirst, ache, appetency, appetite, hankering, hunger, impulse, itch
craving2
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of crave
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA strong desire; yearning.
Origin
craving · noun
- Old Englishcrafing“claim, demand”
- Middle Englishcravinge
- Englishcraving
From Middle English cravinge, from Old English crafing (“claim, demand”); equivalent to crave + -ing.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ὄρεξις
- ὄρεξις (órexis)strong desire; yearning
Arabic تَوْق, تَشَوُّق
- تَوْق (tawq)strong desire; yearning
- تَشَوُّق (tašawwuq)strong desire; yearning
- شَبَق m [sexual craving] (šabaq)strong desire; yearning
- غُلْمَة m [sexual craving] (ḡulma)strong desire; yearning
Bulgarian копнеж, жажда
- копнеж (kopnež)strong desire; yearning
- жажда (žažda)strong desire; yearning
Catalan ànsia
- ànsiastrong desire; yearning
Chinese Mandarin 渴望, 癖好
- 渴望 (kěwàng)strong desire; yearning
- 癖好 (pǐhào)strong desire; yearning
Czech choutky
- choutkystrong desire; yearning
Finnish jano, halu
- janostrong desire; yearning
- halustrong desire; yearning
- tarvestrong desire; yearning
- hinkustrong desire; yearning
French désir ardent
- désir ardentstrong desire; yearning
German Gelüst, Begierde
- Gelüststrong desire; yearning
- Begierdestrong desire; yearning
- Sehnsuchtstrong desire; yearning
- Heißhungerstrong desire; yearning
Greek λαχτάρα, πόθος
- λαχτάρα (lachtára)strong desire; yearning
- πόθος (póthos)strong desire; yearning
- δίψα (dípsa)strong desire; yearning
Hebrew תַּאֲוָה, חֵשֶׁק
- תַּאֲוָה (taavá)strong desire; yearning
- חֵשֶׁק (ẖésheq)strong desire; yearning
Hungarian sóvárgás, epekedés
- sóvárgásstrong desire; yearning
- epekedésstrong desire; yearning
- vágyakozásstrong desire; yearning
- vágyódásstrong desire; yearning
- mohó/gyötrő/kínzó/heves vágystrong desire; yearning
- kívánósságstrong desire; yearning
- kívánásstrong desire; yearning
Irish áilíos, aimirne
- áilíosstrong desire; yearning
- aimirnestrong desire; yearning
- andúilstrong desire; yearning
- anrachánstrong desire; yearning
- dúilstrong desire; yearning
- gabhairstrong desire; yearning
- mearadhstrong desire; yearning
- miangasstrong desire; yearning
- ocrasstrong desire; yearning
- tartstrong desire; yearning
- tothlaíochtstrong desire; yearning
- tothlústrong desire; yearning
Italian brama
- bramastrong desire; yearning
Japanese 渇望, 切望
- 渇望 (katsubō)strong desire; yearning
- 切望 (setsubō)strong desire; yearning
- 熱望 (netsubō)strong desire; yearning
Latvian alkas, kāre
- alkasstrong desire; yearning
- kārestrong desire; yearning
Polish zachcianka, żądza
- zachciankastrong desire; yearning
- żądzastrong desire; yearning
Portuguese ânsia, anelo
- ânsiastrong desire; yearning
- anelostrong desire; yearning
- sofreguidãostrong desire; yearning
Romanian poftă, sete
- poftăstrong desire; yearning
- setestrong desire; yearning
- râvnăstrong desire; yearning
- ardoarestrong desire; yearning
Russian влече́ние, жа́жда
- влече́ние (vlečénije)strong desire; yearning
- жа́жда (žážda)strong desire; yearning
- тя́га (tjága)strong desire; yearning
- стремле́ние (stremlénije)strong desire; yearning
- пристра́стие (pristrástije)strong desire; yearning
Spanish ansia, anhelo
- ansiastrong desire; yearning
- anhelostrong desire; yearning
- pruritostrong desire; yearning
- angurriastrong desire; yearning
- ganastrong desire; yearning
- ganasstrong desire; yearning
Swedish begär, längtan
- begärstrong desire; yearning
- längtanstrong desire; yearning
Welsh chwant
- chwantstrong desire; yearning
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with craving
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
craving. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/craving
“craving.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/craving. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “craving,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/craving.
Source: craving on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.