chase the dragon
To chase after the promise of a continually fulfilling high from an addictive substance.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He is chasing the dragon and losing everything.”
“You are chasing the dragon if you think this high will last.”
“Many addicts chase the dragon until they have no money left.”
“The documentary shows how people start chasing the dragon and eventually lose control over their lives.”
“After his first experience with the drug, he spent every cent he earned trying to chase the dragon, but the feeling never returned.”
“She realized her brother was chasing the dragon when she found the hidden supplies and noticed his sudden, desperate mood swings.”
“The protagonist found himself trapped in a cycle of chasing the dragon, forever seeking the intense euphoria that had long since faded into a hollow memory.”
From Hong Kong Cantonese 追龍 (zeoi¹ lung⁴), the term entered English as a calque of a slang phrase. The chasing refers to the precise movement of the heated liquid, which the user must navigate along the foil to prevent it from coalescing into a single, unmanageable mass.
- 01
chase a rainbow
To pursue something illusory, impractical, or impossible.
- 02
chase after
To pursue someone with romantic intentions; to woo.
- 03
chase away
To get rid of.
- 04
chase off
To drive someone or something away.
- 05
chase one's tail
To busily try to perform many tasks or to repeatedly revise one's plans, especially with inefficient use of one's time and limited results.
- 06
chase rainbows
To pursue unrealistic or fanciful goals.
- 07
chase tail
To be on the hunt for a (usually sexual) partner.
- 08
cut to the chase
To get to the point; to get on with it; to state something directly.
Last updated August 10, 2026