addict

plural addicts

1. A person who is addicted, especially to a harmful drug.

   a heroin addict

   3 more examples

   He is an addict when it comes to chocolate cookies.

   Those nonaddicts who picked a winning card had increased blood flow to the striatum, but the gambling addicts who picked the right card had much less of it (their reward system was less active).

   2006 June 25, Benoit Denizet-Lewis, “An Anti-Addiction Pill?”, in The New York Times Magazine

   A stressful environment in which there is ready access to drugs can trump a low genetic risk of addiction in these animals. The same may be true for humans, too. And that’s a notion many find hard to believe: Just about anyone, regardless of baseline genetic risk, can become an addict under the right circumstances.

   2011 August 1, Richard A. Friedman, “Who Falls to Addiction, and Who Is Unscathed?”, in The New York Times

   Synonyms: junkie, slave

2. An adherent or fan (of something).

   Synonyms: adherent, aficionado, devotee, enthusiast, fan, habitue

comparative more addict · superlative most addict

1. archaicAddicted.
2. obsoleteBound, tied to, obligated.

present singular third person addicts · participle present addicting · participle past addicted · past addicted

1. Ancient RometransitiveTo deliver (someone or something) following a judicial decision.First known use 16th c.
2. archaicreflexiveTo devote (oneself) to a given activity, occupation, thing etc.First known use 16th c.

   They addict themselves to the civil law.

   1644 November 3 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 25 October 1644]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC

   1 more example

   Having resided some time in this place, we returned to the other country-house which we had left, where lord B— addicted himself so much to hunting, and other male diversions, that I began to think he neglected me […].

   1751, [Tobias] Smollett, chapter 88, in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume III, London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC

3. obsoletetransitiveTo bind (a person or thing) to the service of something.First known use 16th–18th c.
4. obsoletereflexiveTo devote or pledge (oneself) to a given person, cause etc.First known use 16th–19th c.
5. archaictransitiveTo devote (one's mind, talent etc.) to a given activity, occupation, thing etc.First known use 16th c.

   That part of mankind that addict their minds to speculations.

   January 19, 1754, Samuel Johnson, The Adventurer, number 126

6. transitiveTo make (someone) become devoted to a given thing or activity; to cause to be addicted.First known use 17th c.

   His genius addicted him to the study of antiquity.

   a. 1662 (date written), Thomas Fuller, The History of the Worthies of England, London: […] J[ohn] G[rismond,] W[illiam] L[eybourne] and W[illiam] G[odbid], published 1662, →OCLC

   Synonyms: get hooked