crave
crave — verb
- cravepresent simple I / you / we / they
- craveshe / she / it
- cravedpast simple
- craving-ing form
1. to want something so much that the need fills your thoughts and feels hard to re
to want something so much that the need fills your thoughts and feels hard to resist — often applies to physical needs like a specific food, but also to emotional needs like affection or approval.
After hiking six hours in the hot sun, Lauren craved a cold drink and watermelon.
crave + food/drink after physical exertion
Haruto craved his grandmother's approval more than any award or promotion at work.
crave + abstract noun (approval)
Mira did not just want a quiet weekend — she craved it after months of double shifts at the hospital.
The abandoned puppy craved human warmth and whimpered whenever a stranger walked past its cage.
People who crave excitement often travel to remote places that few others dare to visit.
- desire
less intense and more formal; can apply to practical wants, not just urgent needs
- yearn for
suggests a wistful, emotional longing, often for something distant or lost
- hunger for
metaphorical, comparing the need to physical hunger; similar intensity
- thirst for
metaphorical, comparing the need to physical thirst; often used for knowledge or power
文法句型
crave + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense is usually followed by a direct object (noun phrase). It can describe both physical cravings (food, drink) and emotional longings (attention, approval, love).
常見錯誤
2. A person who craves something in this older, more formal sense pleads for it wit
A person who craves something in this older, more formal sense pleads for it with deep urgency, as if their well-being depends on it — a meaning that appears in historical, legal, and religious contexts rather than everyday speech.
The prisoner craved the king's mercy, falling to his knees and stretching out his hands.
formal register: crave + [something] from an authority figure
Bilal craved forgiveness from his brother after saying things he deeply regretted.
Sivan craved the court's permission to see her children after the judge had refused her twice.
The farmers craved rain from the heavens, offering prayers at the mountain shrine every morning.
In a letter to the foundation, the head teacher craved donations from wealthy families to buy library books.
文法句型
crave + noun phrase
crave + [something] from + [someone]
用法筆記
This sense is mainly found in literary, historical, or very formal writing. In everyday speech, words like 'beg', 'implore', or 'plead' are far more common.