hooked

IPA/hʊkt/
KK[hˈʊkt]IPA/hʊkt/

hooked — adjective

  • hookedpositive
  • hookedercomparative
  • hookedestsuperlative

1. People who are hooked on something enjoy it intensely and find it difficult to s

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

People who are hooked on something enjoy it intensely and find it difficult to stop doing it, watching it, or taking part in it.

Example

After watching the first episode, Kian was hooked on the new detective series.

hooked on + [TV series]

Sumin got hooked on playing chess after winning her first tournament.

get hooked on + [activity]

Common collocations
  • hooked on [series/game/activity]
  • get hooked on
  • completely hooked
  • totally hooked
  • hooked from the start
Synonyms
  • addicted (to)

    Stronger and more clinical; suggests physical dependence rather than just strong enjoyment

  • obsessed (with)

    More negative; implies the interest has become excessive or unhealthy

  • into

    Less strong and informal; simply means you enjoy something without suggesting you cannot stop

Grammar Patterns

be + hooked (on + noun/gerund)

get + hooked (on + noun/gerund)

Usage Note

Frequently used in the pattern 'be / get hooked on + noun or gerund'. This sense is almost always predicative (after a linking verb) and rarely placed before a noun — for example, you would not say 'a hooked reader' to mean 'a reader who is hooked on books'.

Common Mistakes

I am hooked of watching this show.
I am hooked on watching this show.
The correct preposition after 'hooked' in this sense is 'on', never 'of'.

2. If someone is hooked on a drug, they have a physical or mental need for it and c

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

If someone is hooked on a drug, they have a physical or mental need for it and cannot stop taking it.

Example

By the age of eighteen, Felix was hooked on heroin and needed professional help.

hooked on + [illegal drug]

The clinic helps young people who are hooked on prescription painkillers.

Common collocations
  • hooked on [drug name]
  • hooked on drugs
  • hooked on painkillers
  • get hooked on
  • remain hooked
Synonyms
  • addicted (to)

    More formal and clinical; the standard medical term for substance dependence

  • dependent (on)

    More formal and neutral; often used by doctors to describe physical reliance

Antonyms
  • clean

    Informal term meaning no longer using drugs

  • sober

    Not under the influence of drugs or alcohol

Grammar Patterns

be + hooked (on + drug name)

get + hooked (on + drug name)

Usage Note

Stronger than sense 1 — this sense refers specifically to chemical or physical dependency, not just strong enjoyment. Often appears in medical, recovery, or warning contexts. Frequently collocates with the names of illegal drugs (heroin, cocaine) or addictive prescription medications (painkillers, sleeping pills).

Common Mistakes

He is a hooked drug user.
He is hooked on drugs.
When meaning addicted, 'hooked' is almost always predicative and does not come directly before a noun.

3. Something described as hooked is curved at its tip like a hook, or is designed w

3.adjectiveB1
Definition

Something described as hooked is curved at its tip like a hook, or is designed with a hook or hooks attached to it.

Example

The old man had a long, hooked nose and small grey eyes.

hooked nose

The eagle's hooked beak is perfect for tearing meat into small pieces.

Common collocations
  • hooked nose
  • hooked beak
  • hooked end
  • hooked blade
  • hooked claw
  • hooked tool
Synonyms
  • curved

    More general — describes any bending line or shape, not specifically a hook shape

  • bent

    Less precise — suggests an angle rather than a smooth curve

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

hooked + noun

be + hooked

Usage Note

Unlike senses 1 and 2, this sense can appear before a noun (a hooked beak) as well as after a linking verb (the beak was hooked). Common in descriptions of physical appearance (noses, beaks, claws) and tools or equipment (fishing hooks, hooks on a wall).

Common Mistakes

The line has a crooked end.' (when meaning curved like a hook).
The line has a hooked end.
'Crooked' means bent or twisted in an irregular way; 'hooked' means curving like a hook.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Hooked (on), addicted (to), obsessed (with), and into all describe a strong interest in something, but they differ in intensity and register. 'Hooked' suggests the enjoyable feeling of being unable to stop, and is used casually for TV shows, games, or hobbies. 'Addicted' is stronger and more clinical — it suggests physical or mental dependence and is the standard term for substance abuse. 'Obsessed' implies the interest has become excessive or unhealthy, carrying a more negative tone than 'hooked'. 'Into' is very mild and informal — you can be into yoga without being hooked on it. For example, 'Sumin is into photography' simply means she enjoys it, but 'Sumin is hooked on photography' means she spends nearly all her free time on it and would feel lost without her camera.

addicted ↗obsessed ↗into ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • get hooked
  • be hooked
  • become hooked
  • stay hooked

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed from the noun 'hook' (a curved piece of metal used for catching or holding things) plus the adjective suffix '-ed', creating the meaning 'having a hook' or 'shaped like a hook'. The figurative meanings — 'enjoying something intensely' and 'addicted to a drug' — developed in the 20th century, first appearing in the context of drug addiction and then extending to any activity that people find compelling.

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1