50 Idioms for Addiction With Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Addiction
1. Hooked on
Meaning: Being addicted or extremely enthusiastic about something.
In a Sentence: He’s hooked on video games and plays them every night.
Other Ways to Say: Addicted to, Obsessed with.
2. Chained to
Meaning: Feeling controlled or trapped by addiction.
In a Sentence: She feels chained to her phone, unable to stop scrolling.
Other Ways to Say: Enslaved to, Bound to.
3. Can’t Kick the Habit
Meaning: Unable to stop a bad or addictive behavior.
In a Sentence: He just can’t kick the habit of smoking.
Other Ways to Say: Struggling to quit, Can’t give it up.
4. Fiending for
Meaning: Craving something intensely, often related to addiction.
In a Sentence: She’s fiending for chocolate after dinner.
Other Ways to Say: Longing for, Desiring.
5. Monkey on One’s Back
Meaning: A burdensome addiction or problem that’s hard to get rid of.
In a Sentence: His gambling problem is like a monkey on his back.
Other Ways to Say: A persistent issue, Unshakeable habit.
6. In Too Deep
Meaning: Being too involved in an addiction to back out easily.
In a Sentence: He’s in too deep with online betting.
Other Ways to Say: Overwhelmed by, Trapped in.
7. Craving Like Crazy
Meaning: Having a strong and uncontrollable desire.
In a Sentence: She’s craving like crazy for sweets during stress.
Other Ways to Say: Desperate for, Yearning for.
8. Slave to
Meaning: Being completely controlled by an addiction.
In a Sentence: He became a slave to alcohol after his divorce.
Other Ways to Say: Powerless against, Ruled by.
9. Can’t Get Enough Of
Meaning: Always wanting more of something addictive.
In a Sentence: I can’t get enough of these energy drinks.
Other Ways to Say: Obsessed with, Addicted to.
10. Lost in It
Meaning: Totally consumed by a behavior or substance.
In a Sentence: He’s lost in his addiction to gaming.
Other Ways to Say: Immersed in, Engulfed by.
11. Feeding the Habit
Meaning: Continuing an addiction by indulging in it.
In a Sentence: He’s feeding the habit by buying more cigarettes.
Other Ways to Say: Sustaining the behavior, Enabling the addiction.
12. Can’t Live Without It
Meaning: Feeling like something is essential due to addiction.
In a Sentence: She says she can’t live without her daily coffee.
Other Ways to Say: Dependent on, Reliant on.
13. Drowning in
Meaning: Overwhelmed by addiction or habit.
In a Sentence: He’s drowning in a sea of online shopping.
Other Ways to Say: Consumed by, Overcome with.
14. Under the Influence
Meaning: Being controlled or affected by a substance.
In a Sentence: He was under the influence during the party.
Other Ways to Say: Intoxicated, Not in control.
15. Can’t Put It Down
Meaning: Unable to stop using or engaging with something.
In a Sentence: He can’t put his phone down, even at dinner.
Other Ways to Say: Always holding onto, Addicted to.
16. Stuck in the Cycle
Meaning: Repeating addictive behaviors without escape.
In a Sentence: She’s stuck in the cycle of stress and emotional eating.
Other Ways to Say: In a loop, Caught in a trap.
17. Always Chasing the High
Meaning: Constantly seeking the initial thrill of addiction.
In a Sentence: Drug users are often chasing the high they felt at first.
Other Ways to Say: Seeking pleasure, Craving excitement.
18. Going Cold Turkey
Meaning: Stopping an addiction suddenly.
In a Sentence: He went cold turkey on caffeine last week.
Other Ways to Say: Quitting abruptly, Stopping suddenly.
19. One is Too Many, a Thousand Never Enough
Meaning: Once someone gives in to an addiction, it becomes hard to stop.
In a Sentence: For him, one drink is too many, a thousand never enough.
Other Ways to Say: Can’t stop once started, No control.
20. Bitten by the Bug
Meaning: Suddenly obsessed with something, often addictive.
In a Sentence: He’s been bitten by the fitness bug lately.
Other Ways to Say: Hooked on, Caught up in.
21. Can’t Resist the Urge
Meaning: Unable to fight the temptation of addiction.
In a Sentence: She can’t resist the urge to check social media.
Other Ways to Say: Giving in, Succumbing.
22. Addicted to the Rush
Meaning: Craving the excitement or thrill.
In a Sentence: He’s addicted to the rush of extreme sports.
Other Ways to Say: Thrill-seeking, High on adrenaline.
23. Over the Edge
Meaning: Past the point of control.
In a Sentence: His addiction pushed him over the edge.
Other Ways to Say: Gone too far, Lost control.
24. On a Binge
Meaning: Engaging in excessive or uncontrollable behavior.
In a Sentence: She went on a binge of watching Netflix for 12 hours.
Other Ways to Say: Bingeing, Overindulging.
25. Nose Candy
Meaning: Slang for drugs like cocaine.
In a Sentence: He was arrested for possession of nose candy.
Other Ways to Say: Cocaine, Illegal substances.
26. Going Cold Turkey
Meaning: Suddenly quitting an addictive behavior completely.
In a Sentence: He went cold turkey on smoking after his daughter was born.
Other Ways to Say: Quit abruptly, Stop all at once.
27. Hooked on
Meaning: Being strongly addicted to something.
In a Sentence: He’s hooked on video games and plays for hours every day.
Other Ways to Say: Addicted to, Obsessed with.
28. On a Binge
Meaning: Indulging in something excessively for a short period.
In a Sentence: She went on a binge and watched the whole season in one night.
Other Ways to Say: Overindulging, Splurging.
29. Craving Fix
Meaning: Needing a dose of something you’re addicted to.
In a Sentence: He couldn’t focus until he got his morning coffee fix.
Other Ways to Say: Needing a hit, Yearning for.
30. Slave to Habit
Meaning: Controlled by a repetitive behavior or addiction.
In a Sentence: He became a slave to the habit of late-night snacking.
Other Ways to Say: Controlled by, Victim of routine.
31. Under the Influence
Meaning: Being affected by drugs or alcohol.
In a Sentence: He was caught driving under the influence last night.
Other Ways to Say: Intoxicated, High.
32. Addicted to the Rush
Meaning: Dependent on the thrill or excitement from an addictive activity.
In a Sentence: She’s addicted to the rush of gambling.
Other Ways to Say: Thrill-seeking, Hooked on excitement.
33. Drowning in
Meaning: Overwhelmed or consumed by something, often addictive.
In a Sentence: He’s drowning in debt because of his online shopping addiction.
Other Ways to Say: Overcome by, Swamped with.
34. Can’t Get Enough
Meaning: Constantly wanting more of something enjoyable.
In a Sentence: She can’t get enough of that new show on Netflix.
Other Ways to Say: Obsessed with, Always wanting more.
35. In Too Deep
Meaning: Too involved in something difficult to escape.
In a Sentence: He’s in too deep with gambling debts and can’t get out.
Other Ways to Say: Overwhelmed, Caught up.
36. A Habit You Can’t Kick
Meaning: An addiction or routine that’s difficult to quit.
In a Sentence: Smoking became a habit he couldn’t kick for years.
Other Ways to Say: Hard to give up, Unbreakable habit.
37. One More Hit
Meaning: Seeking another dose or experience of an addiction.
In a Sentence: He begged for one more hit before rehab.
Other Ways to Say: Another round, Just one more.
38. Chasing the High
Meaning: Trying to re-experience the first euphoric feeling.
In a Sentence: Many addicts spend years chasing the high they once felt.
Other Ways to Say: Seeking thrills, Longing for intensity.
39. Habit-Forming
Meaning: Something that easily leads to addiction.
In a Sentence: These sugary snacks are seriously habit-forming.
Other Ways to Say: Addictive, Crave-inducing.
40. Can’t Put It Down
Meaning: Unable to stop using or doing something addictive.
In a Sentence: That book is so good I can’t put it down.
Other Ways to Say: Totally hooked, Glued to it.
41. Obsessed With
Meaning: Extremely fixated or preoccupied with something.
In a Sentence: He’s obsessed with the gym and works out twice a day.
Other Ways to Say: Addicted to, Hung up on.
42. Struggling with Demons
Meaning: Battling inner issues like addiction.
In a Sentence: He’s been struggling with his demons for years.
Other Ways to Say: Fighting addiction, Battling urges.
43. Can’t Get Out
Meaning: Feeling trapped in an addictive cycle.
In a Sentence: Once he started using drugs, he felt he couldn’t get out.
Other Ways to Say: Stuck, Ensnared.
44. Always Needing More
Meaning: Never satisfied and always craving more.
In a Sentence: With gambling, he’s always needing more to feel the same rush.
Other Ways to Say: Constant craving, Ever increasing desire.
45. Breaking the Habit
Meaning: Stopping a long-term addiction or routine.
In a Sentence: She’s finally breaking the habit of drinking soda.
Other Ways to Say: Quitting, Letting go.
46. Hard to Quit
Meaning: Something difficult to stop doing once started.
In a Sentence: That mobile game is fun but hard to quit.
Other Ways to Say: Addictive, Sticky.
47. Over the Edge
Meaning: Past the point of control, into addiction or chaos.
In a Sentence: He went over the edge after losing his job.
Other Ways to Say: Spiraled out, Lost control.
48. Too Far Gone
Meaning: Deeply addicted with little hope of recovery.
In a Sentence: By the time his family intervened, he was too far gone.
Other Ways to Say: Beyond help, Lost in addiction.
49. Constant Craving
Meaning: Ongoing desire or urge for something.
In a Sentence: She had a constant craving for attention.
Other Ways to Say: Never satisfied, Always wanting more.
50. Addicted Beyond Control
Meaning: Entirely dependent with no self-restraint.
In a Sentence: He was addicted beyond control and needed professional help.
Other Ways to Say: Fully consumed, No self-control.
