addiction
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a physical or mental need to use a drug or substance that you cannot easily stop.
a chronic, relapsing brain disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.
Simple“He went to a clinic to get help with his addiction to alcohol.”
In context“The patient's addiction to prescription painkillers required a comprehensive treatment plan involving both detoxification and long-term psychological support.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'to'.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a strong habit of doing an activity too much, like playing video games or shopping.
a psychological compulsion to engage in rewarding non-substance-related behaviours.
Simple“Her addiction to social media was starting to affect her performance at work.”
In context“Researchers are increasingly studying the neurological similarities between gambling addiction and chemical dependency.”
UsageCommonly followed by 'to' plus a noun or gerund.
“Stewart’s addictions ended his run on the country charts.”
“But experts are divided as to whether it is a true "addiction" – like someone might experience with drugs, for example – and how best to deal with it.”
From addict + -ion; compare (Latin) addictio (“an adjudging, an award”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.