suget

Suget is a noun used in Danish and Norwegian to denote a strong desire or craving, often for something specific such as food, nicotine, drugs, or another impulse. The term is common in everyday speech as well as in medical and psychological contexts, where it describes a powerful urge that can be difficult to resist.

The word derives from the verb suge, meaning to suck, with the definite suffix -et in Danish and Norwegian. The figurative extension from the physical act of sucking to being drawn toward a temptation explains its use for cravings and urges in various situations.

Usage examples include phrases like et sterkt suget etter noe (a strong urge for something) and å få suget (to get the urge). Common sentences are, for instance, Han føler et sterkt suget etter røyking (He feels a strong craving to smoke) and Hun sliter med suget etter alkohol (She struggles with cravings for alcohol). In addiction treatment and withdrawal contexts, clinicians may refer to cravings as suget when assessing progress or relapse risk. A frequent expression is å gi etter for suget (to give in to the urge).

Related terms include lengsel (longing), begjær (desire), and trang (urge). The term suget is primarily used in Norwegian Bokmål and Danish, with translations in English commonly rendered as craving or urge.