Meaning & use
cold turkey
Last updated
Meanings
adverbinformal
In a way that suddenly stops using an addictive substance or habit, without gradually reducing it.
Grammar: Often used after 'go': 'go cold turkey'. Also after 'quit': 'quit cold turkey'.
Patterns
- go cold turkey
- quit something cold turkey
He decided to go cold turkey on smoking and hasn't had a cigarette in three weeks.
She quit caffeine cold turkey and felt terrible for a few days.
noununcountableinformal
The sudden stopping of an addictive substance or habit without gradually reducing it.
Grammar: Uncountable: you say 'go cold turkey' or 'do cold turkey', not 'a cold turkey'.
Patterns
- go cold turkey
- do cold turkey
Going cold turkey can be dangerous for some addictions, so talk to a doctor first.
His cold turkey from alcohol was difficult but successful.
Common combinations
- go cold turkey
- Many people find it easier to go cold turkey than to cut down slowly.
- quit cold turkey
- He quit drinking cold turkey after his doctor warned him.
- cold turkey from something
- She went cold turkey from social media for a month.
Synonyms and how they differ
- abruptly
- This means 'suddenly' in general, while 'cold turkey' specifically refers to stopping an addiction or habit.
- withdrawal
- This is the physical or mental reaction to stopping a substance; 'cold turkey' is the act of stopping suddenly, not the reaction itself.
Opposites
Commonly confused: cold turkey or turkey?
cold turkey vs turkey
The bird is 'turkey'. The phrase 'cold turkey' has nothing to do with the bird; it means stopping something suddenly.
Practice
He decided to go ______ and stop taking sugar completely.
Choose one answer.
'Go cold turkey' is the fixed phrase meaning to stop something suddenly and completely. The other options are not English idioms.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cold turkey”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.