Meaning & use
addicted
Last updated
Meanings
adjectiveafter a verbmedical
Unable to stop using or doing something harmful because your body or mind depends on it.
Grammar: Followed by to: addicted to drugs.
Patterns
- be addicted to something
- become addicted to something
He became addicted to painkillers after the surgery.
She is addicted to gambling.
Many smokers are addicted to nicotine.
adjectiveafter a verbinformal
Enjoying something so much that you do it all the time.
Grammar: Informal and exaggerated; with to.
Patterns
- be addicted to something
I'm addicted to this series.
He is addicted to coffee.
The kids are addicted to their phones.
Word forms
| comparative | more addicted |
|---|---|
| superlative | most addicted |
Common combinations
- addicted to
- She is addicted to chocolate.
- become addicted
- People can become addicted quickly.
- hopelessly addicted
- He was hopelessly addicted.
- get addicted
- I got addicted to the game.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dependent
- Medical, relying on a substance.
- hooked
- Informal, stronger or lighter.
- obsessed
- Mind fixed on, no body dependence.
- devoted
- Positive, loyal.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: addicted or addictive?
addicted vs addictive
Addictive describes the thing that causes addiction; addicted describes the person.
Practice
After months of heavy use, he realized he was ___ to the medication.
Choose one answer.
Addicted to is the correct pattern. The other options use wrong prepositions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “addicted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.