INDEX:
1. addicted to drugs, alcohol, tobacco etc
2. someone who is addicted to a drug
3. when a drug or other substance makes people addicted
4. the need to have a drug etc regularly
RELATED WORDS
when you enjoy something very much and do it a lot : ↑ LIKE
to stop doing something because it is harmful or unhealthy : ↑ STOP
see also
↑ DRUG
↑ DRINK
↑ SMOKING
↑ OBSESSION
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1. addicted to drugs, alcohol, tobacco etc
▷ addicted /biː əˈdɪktə̇d/ [adjective not before noun]
if you are addicted to drugs, alcohol, tobacco etc, you need to take them regularly and feel that you cannot stop :
▪ I tried to give up smoking several times before I realized I was addicted.
addicted to
▪ By the time he was 16, he was addicted to heroin.
▪ The children of mothers who use crack or cocaine are often born addicted to the drug.
▷ hooked /ˈhʊkt/ [adjective not before noun] informal
addicted to drugs, tobacco etc :
hooked on
▪ She’s been hooked on heroin since she was 15.
get hooked
▪ Don’t let your children start smoking -- it’s so easy for them to get hooked.
▷ dependent /dɪˈpendənt/ [adjective not before noun]
addicted to alcohol or drugs, especially legal drugs that a doctor gives you, so that you feel you cannot live without them :
▪ It’s almost impossible to take tranquilizers for long without becoming dependent.
dependent on
▪ About 10% of the population is dependent on some form of drug.
▪ Far more people are dependent on alcohol than we realize.
2. someone who is addicted to a drug
▷ addict /ˈædɪkt/ [countable noun]
▪ It’s difficult for most smokers to admit that they are addicts.
drug/heroin/morphine etc addict
▪ A lot of women drug addicts become prostitutes in order to get money to buy drugs.
▪ Heroin addicts run an increased risk of getting AIDS.
▷ drug user also user /ˈdrʌg ˌjuːzəʳ, ˈjuːzəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who regularly takes an illegal drug :
▪ The city has proposed a plan to register all drug users at a special clinic.
▪ Once a user himself, Gary now works as a counsellor helping other addicts.
▷ junkie /ˈdʒʌŋki/ [countable noun] informal
someone who is addicted to a strong illegal drug such as heroin - use this to show disapproval :
▪ It is a dangerous part of town - there are thieves and junkies everywhere.
▪ The toilets are often used by junkies who leave their needles lying around on the floor.
3. when a drug or other substance makes people addicted
▷ addictive /əˈdɪktɪv/ [adjective]
▪ Most addictive drugs are illegal.
▪ Humphrey claims that the tobacco industry hid evidence that cigarettes were addictive.
highly addictive
very addictive
▪ Crack is a highly addictive form of cocaine.
mildly addictive
slightly addictive
▪ The caffeine in coffee is mildly addictive.
4. the need to have a drug etc regularly
▷ addiction /əˈdɪkʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
drug addiction
▪ Drug addiction is now the biggest social problem in American cities.
addiction to
▪ Eventually she managed to overcome her addiction to alcohol.
▷ habit /ˈhæbɪt, ˈhæbət/ [countable noun usually singular]
an addiction to an illegal drug or to tobacco :
drug/cocaine/heroin etc habit
▪ His cocaine habit was ruining his life.
kick the habit
give up the habit
▪ Some smokers use chewing gum containing nicotine to help them kick the habit.
▷ dependence /dɪˈpendəns/ [uncountable noun]
addiction to alcohol or drugs, especially legal drugs that a doctor gives you, so that you feel you cannot continue to live without them :
dependence on
▪ Dependence on alcohol can have a serious effect on your relationships and career.
drug/alcohol dependence
▪ The clinic treats people affected by drug dependence.