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addictive — causing or relating to a strong desire to continue using something regularly

Part of speech: ADJECTIVE

Definition: causing or relating to a strong desire to continue using something regularly

Pronunciation (IPA): /əˈdɪktɪv/

Example Sentences

  • My grandmother says candy crush is not addictive, but she's been playing for 8 hours straight.
  • Coffee is mildly addictive, which explains why I need it to be a human being every morning.
  • The new mobile game is so addictive that even my boss forgot about the meeting.

addictive

ADJECTIVE

[/əˈdɪktɪv/]

causing or relating to a strong desire to continue using something regularly

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/əˈdɪktɪv/
🇬🇧 UK/əˈdɪktɪv/

🌳Etymology

Prefixad--
Rootdict
Suffix--ive

Origin

Derived from Latin 'addictus' (devoted, enslaved), the past participle of 'addicere'. In ancient Rome, this term originally referred to the legal practice of consigning debtors unable to pay into bondage to their creditors. The meaning evolved in modern usage to describe a state of being completely bound or enslaved to something, giving rise to the contemporary sense of addiction.

Breakdown

ad- (to, toward) + dicere (to speak, declare, assign) + -ive (adjective suffix indicating tendency). The root 'addicere' literally means 'to assign or dedicate to,' which metaphorically extended to describe compulsive dependency.

🎵Rhyme

predictive
restrictive
vindictive

🔗Collocations

highly addictive
addictive substance
addictive behavior
potentially addictive
addictive game
addictive personality

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“My grandmother says candy crush is not addictive, but she's been playing for 8 hours straight.”

😄 Fun example

“Coffee is mildly addictive, which explains why I need it to be a human being every morning.”

😄 Fun example

“The new mobile game is so addictive that even my boss forgot about the meeting.”

“Smoking is highly addictive and harmful to health.”

📚Related Words

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