How to say "crave" in Japanese

• むさぼるCommon
  godan verb, transitive verbCovers craving with a greedy, covetous nuance — hungering for or being greedy for something, often desires one pursues excess­ively. Rarely the neutral everyday word for merely wanting something.
  いいのよ。いままで実じつのないブランド品ひんを高たかく売うりつけて暴利ぼうりをむさぼってきたんだから。今後こんごせいぜい良心りょうしん的てきな商売しょうばいにはげめばいいんだわ。↗

  Never mind that. After all, up till now he's been stuffing himself on huge profits, selling brand-name goods of no real worth at high prices. From now on, he can just try his best at honest trade.
• 渇くかわくJLPT N2approx.Common
  godan verb, intransitive verbCovers craving in the sense of thirsting for something — an intense, felt need, as for water or for something one strongly desires. Use it when the craving is like an inner thirst.

Use 「渇く」 for craving something as a thirst-like need, while 「むさぼる」 emphasizes greedy, covetous hungering and is usually reserved for that grasping nuance rather than ordinary wanting.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• むさぼるto covet
• 渇くかわくto thirst for