What does addicted mean?
"Addicted" is an adjective describing a state of dependence on a substance or activity, most commonly drugs, alcohol, nicotine, or gambling. In its primary sense it carries serious medical and psychological weight: an addicted person experiences cravings and compulsive use despite harm. A milder, informal sense extends the word to harmless enthusiasms — someone might describe themselves as addicted to coffee, crossword puzzles, or a streaming series — where the tone is playful rather than clinical. The word almost always appears with the preposition "to" (addicted to something) and is typically used predicatively rather than before a noun. Derived from the verb "addict," which traces back to Latin addicere, meaning to devote or surrender to, the term has long carried the idea of being bound or given over to something beyond one's control. Its noun counterpart is "addiction," and its related adjective "addictive" describes the thing that causes dependence.
adjectivePhysically or psychologically dependent on a substance or activity, especially one that is harmful. More broadly, enthusiastically devoted to or fond of something.
- Dependent on a harmful substance such as a drug or alcohol.
- Compulsively devoted to an activity, such as gambling or gaming.
- Enthusiastically fond of something harmless (e.g., 'addicted to chocolate').
"After years of heavy drinking, he finally admitted he was addicted and sought help."
"She became addicted to painkillers after her surgery."
"He's completely addicted to chess and plays online every night."
The word "addict" once meant someone legally "bound over" to a master — in Roman law, an addictus was literally a debtor awarded to his creditor as property.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of addicted
"Addicted" derives from the Latin addicere, meaning to assign, devote, or surrender someone to another — originally used of debtors handed over to creditors. English adopted the verb "addict" in the late 16th century with the general sense of devoting oneself to a habit or pursuit, and the past participle "addicted" gradually narrowed toward compulsive dependence on substances by the 18th and 19th centuries. It shares its Latin root dicere (to say, declare, devote) with words such as "dedicate," "verdict," and "predicate."
Related word forms
How addicted is actually used
Primarily used predicatively ('he is addicted'), rarely attributively. The figurative sense ('addicted to a TV show') is informal and often playful, while the literal sense carries serious medical connotations. Originally a past participle of the verb 'addict', which is now rare outside this form.
Easily confused with addicted
"Addicted" describes the person who is dependent on something, while "addictive" describes the substance or activity that causes dependence.