addict
/ˈædɪkt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈædɪkt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈa-(ˌ)dikt/ (ame, mw)
addict — noun
1. someone whose body or mind has come to need a harmful substance — typically a dr
someone whose body or mind has come to need a harmful substance — typically a drug, alcohol, or nicotine — so badly that quitting feels almost impossible without help.
The clinic in Taipei treats heroin addicts with daily methadone and weekly counselling sessions.
noun phrase: [drug] + addict
Noa had been a heavy smoker for thirty years and finally admitted he was a nicotine addict.
be + a/an + [substance] + addict
Recovering addicts at the shelter share meals, stories, and a strict no-alcohol rule.
Dr. Chen warned the parents that their teenage son was becoming an addict.
- junkie
informal and often offensive; usually for hard-drug users
- user
neutral, drug-related, often paired with 'drug user'
- substance abuser
clinical / formal register
文法句型
a [drug/heroin/cocaine] addict
用法筆記
Often preceded by the name of the substance (heroin, alcohol, nicotine) or by 'recovering' / 'former'. Can carry stigma — clinical writing increasingly prefers 'a person with a substance use disorder'.
常見錯誤
2. someone who loves a hobby, food, or activity so much that they can hardly go a d
someone who loves a hobby, food, or activity so much that they can hardly go a day without it — used in a playful, exaggerated way rather than literally.
Yara is a total chocolate addict and keeps three different bars in her desk drawer.
informal exaggeration: [thing] + addict
My uncle is a golf addict who plays every weekend, even in heavy rain.
The shop sells stickers, mugs, and tote bags for self-confessed coffee addicts.
Mei calls herself a K-drama addict and watches three new episodes every night.
- fanatic
shows even stronger devotion, sometimes obsessive
- enthusiast
more neutral and respectful, fits formal writing
- buff
informal; suggests deep knowledge of a subject
文法句型
a [hobby/activity] addict
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this use is light-hearted and almost always marked by a non-substance noun ('chocolate', 'shopping', 'gym'). Listeners do not understand it as a real medical condition.
常見錯誤
addict — verb
1. to make a person rely on a drug, food, or habit so heavily that the body or mind
to make a person rely on a drug, food, or habit so heavily that the body or mind cannot easily do without it — most often seen in the passive form 'be addicted to'.
Doctors warn that prescribing strong painkillers for too long can addict patients to opioids.
active transitive: addict + someone + to + substance
The studies showed that nicotine can addict young smokers within just a few weeks.
Hana was addicted to gambling by the age of nineteen and lost his college savings.
Game designers know that bright rewards and short levels can quickly addict children to mobile play.
- wean
to gradually remove dependence, opposite process
文法句型
addict someone to something
be addicted to something
用法筆記
The active verb form is uncommon in everyday speech; learners almost always meet this word as the passive adjective 'addicted'. Object is normally a person; 'to + noun' marks the substance or activity.