addict
/'ædikt/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A person who is physiologically dependent on a substance: An "addict" is someone whose body requires a specific substance, such as a drug, to function normally. Stopping the substance causes physical or mental distress known as withdrawal symptoms.
- A person who is compulsively devoted to an activity or thing: An "addict" can also describe someone with an extremely strong, habitual enthusiasm for something, to a degree that resembles a dependency.
Verb:
- To cause someone or oneself to become habitually dependent on something: To "addict" means to devote or surrender oneself habitually or compulsively to something, often a substance. This verb form is less common and often used in the passive voice (e.g., "to be addicted").
Usage Examples
Noun:
- The clinic provides support for drug addicts seeking recovery.
- He is a complete chess addict, playing online for hours every day.
Verb:
- He addicted himself to video games, neglecting his other responsibilities. (Note: The more common phrasing is "He became addicted to...")
- The substance is known to addict its users very quickly.
Advanced Usage
"Self-confessed addict": A person who openly admits to having an addiction.
- She is a self-confessed coffee addict, drinking several cups before noon.
"Recovering addict": A person who is in the process of overcoming an addiction.
- The program is designed to support recovering addicts.
Variants and Related Words
Addicted (adjective): Being physically or mentally dependent on a substance or activity.
- He is addicted to social media.
Addiction (noun): The condition of being addicted.
- Her addiction to shopping caused financial problems.
Addictive (adjective): Causing or likely to cause addiction.
- The game has a very addictive quality.
Synonyms
- Noun (for substance dependency): Junkie, user, dependent.
- Noun (for strong devotion): Enthusiast, fanatic, devotee, aficionado, freak (informal), junkie (informal, e.g., "news junkie").
Related Phrases
- "Addict to": This is the standard preposition used with the noun and adjective forms.
- He is an addict to adrenaline sports.
- She is addicted to chocolate.
Idioms
- "... addict" / "... junkie": Common informal compound nouns used to describe a person with a strong habit or enthusiasm for the specified thing.
- A work addict rarely takes vacations.
- A news junkie checks headlines constantly. (Note: These are listed here as common idiomatic patterns, not as the target word itself.)
Noun
- someone who is physiologically dependent on a substance; abrupt deprivation of the substance produces withdrawal symptoms
- someone who is so ardently devoted to something that it resembles an addiction
- a golf addict
- a car nut
- a bodybuilding freak
- a news junkie
Verb
- to cause (someone or oneself) to become dependent (on something, especially a narcotic drug)