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addiction
This term carries a heavy clinical and moral weight, signaling a loss of agency where a biological or psychological drive overrides rational choice. It suggests a cycle of craving and withdrawal that creates a dependency, often associated with shame or a desperate need for recovery.
While it is most frequently used for chemical substances, it increasingly describes behavioral loops like social media or gaming. In these contexts, it describes a compulsive habit that interferes with daily functioning, distinguishing a mere hobby from a destructive obsession.
Countable when referring to a specific type of dependency, such as a nicotine addiction. Uncountable when discussing the general state or phenomenon of being addicted.
Meanings
Examples
He has a sugar addiction.
Stop your phone addiction.
Drug addiction is scary.
Her addiction to coffee started early.
He struggled with a gaming addiction.
The addiction grew stronger every day.
The student fought a secret nicotine addiction.
Doctors treat addiction as a chronic disease.
The detective noticed the suspect's gambling addiction.
Corporate culture can foster an addiction to power.
The historian analyzed the court's opium addiction.
I apologize for my addiction to perfectionism.