hooked on

Meanings

1. 1adjectiveafter a verbinformal

   Enjoying something so much that you want to do or have it all the time.

   Grammar: Follows be, get or become and takes on plus a noun: she is hooked on that series.

   Patterns

   • be hooked on something
   • get hooked on doing something

   My brother is hooked on a puzzle game and plays it every night.

   She got hooked on mystery novels last summer.

   The kids are hooked on that cartoon.

2. 2adjectiveafter a verb

   Physically or mentally dependent on a harmful substance or habit.

   Grammar: Often used with drugs, alcohol or smoking: he became hooked on cigarettes.

   Patterns

   • be hooked on something

   He was hooked on painkillers after the accident.

   Many teenagers get hooked on nicotine in a few weeks.

   She said she was hooked on sugar and could not stop.

Common combinations

get hooked on

It is easy to get hooked on this show.

completely hooked on

I am completely hooked on this new band.

hooked on a feeling

He was hooked on the feeling of winning.

hooked on sugar

Many people are hooked on sugar.

hooked on your phone

Teens often feel hooked on their phones.

Synonyms and how they differ

addicted to

Addicted to is stronger and more medical, while hooked on is often playful.

obsessed with

Obsessed with suggests constant thinking about something, whereas hooked on suggests a need to keep doing it.

crazy about

Crazy about is purely positive and shows enthusiasm, without implying dependence.

Opposites

Word family

hook verb

to catch or attract someone

hooked adjective

captured by interest or addicted

hooker noun

someone who hooks, but also an offensive slang term; avoid

Commonly confused: hooked on or hooked up with?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “hooked on”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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