# chase the dragon

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/chase-the-dragon
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To chase after the promise of a continually fulfilling high from an addictive substance.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.