craving
n. US //ˈkɹeɪvɪŋ// UK //kɹˈeɪvɪŋ// crav·ing
-
1 strong desire (n.) B1 Intermediatea powerful feeling that you want or need something very much.
an intense, urgent desire or yearning for something specific.
ExampleDuring her pregnancy, she had a strange craving for pickles and ice cream.
ExampleThe patient reported a persistent craving for nicotine, which made the initial stages of the smoking cessation programme particularly challenging.
UsageCommonly followed by the preposition 'for'.
PitfallI have a craving of chocolate.I have a craving for chocolate.The noun 'craving' is followed by the preposition 'for', not 'of'.
From Middle English cravinge, from Old English crafing (“claim, demand”); equivalent to crave + -ing.
From crave.
- Verbcrave
- Nouncraving