have a yen for

1. Crave or desire, as in I have a yen for a thick juicy steak. The yen in this expression comes from the Chinese yan, meaning “a craving” (probably for opium). The term was first recorded in English in 1906.

Example Sentences

A true food craving is sort of a slow burn — like when you, say, have a yen for Thai food — that will smolder until you eventually satisfy it, which could legitimately be days later when you have a chance to go to your favorite Thai restaurant.

From Seattle Times

I’m telling you about this in hope that someone out there might have a yen for a bungalow court.

From Los Angeles Times

A true craving is more of a slow burn — like when you have a yen for a favorite dish or cuisine that you haven’t enjoyed for a while — that will smolder until you eventually satisfy it.

From Washington Post

Sure, if you have a yen for a throwback action movie.

From The Guardian

You don’t even need fancy ingredients — just eggs, cream, milk and sugar and whatever flavorings and mix-ins you might have a yen for.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• ache 
• chafe 
• covet 
• crave 
• hanker 
• hunger 
• itch 
• pine 
• thirst