What does craving mean?
A craving is an intense, persistent desire for something specific, most often a food, drink, or addictive substance, but sometimes an intangible such as affection, attention, or escape. Unlike ordinary wants, cravings are typically urgent and hard to ignore, which is why the word appears so frequently in discussions of dieting, pregnancy, and addiction, where resisting a craving can take real effort. It is a countable noun, so one speaks of having "a craving" or of suffering repeated "cravings," and it pairs naturally with the preposition "for," as in "a craving for chocolate." The tone can be light and indulgent — a midnight craving for ice cream — or serious, as in the cravings experienced during withdrawal. Derived from the verb "crave," meaning to long for or beg earnestly, the word captures both appetite and yearning, making it a versatile term for describing the pull of anything we deeply desire.
nounA powerful, persistent desire for something, especially a particular food, substance, or experience.
- An intense, often sudden desire for a specific thing, most commonly food or a substance such as nicotine or alcohol.
- A strong general longing for something intangible, such as attention, affection, or freedom.
"She had an overwhelming craving for chocolate after a week of strict dieting."
"He fought off a late-night craving for cigarettes by going for a walk."
"Her constant craving for approval made it hard for her to say no."
The plural is standard and frequent, especially when discussing recurring desires tied to diet, pregnancy, or addiction.
"Cutting back on sugar made his cravings worse for the first two weeks."
Pregnant women's famous 'pickle cravings' gave this word its pop-culture fame — but science still can't fully explain why cravings feel so irresistible.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of craving
Craving derives from the verb "crave," whose origins lie in Old English "crafian," meaning to ask, demand, or beg earnestly. Over the Middle English period the verb shifted from asking for something to longing for it, and the noun "craving" emerged to denote that intense desire itself. The word has been part of English since at least the medieval era and remains closely tied to its parent verb, which survives in phrases like "I crave your pardon."
Related word forms
How craving is actually used
The plural "cravings" is common when referring to recurring desires, especially in medical, dietary, or pregnancy-related contexts. The word carries no strong formality marker and appears freely in both clinical writing and casual conversation.
Easily confused with craving
"Carving" means cutting or shaping material such as wood or meat, while "craving" means an intense desire for something.