addictive

adjective

ad·​dic·​tive ə-ˈdik-tiv 

a-

: causing or characterized by addiction

an addictive drug

an addictive personality

Synonyms of addictive

• addicting

Examples of addictive in a Sentence

highly addictive drugs like crack and heroin

the addictive thrill of surfing

Recent Examples on the Web

Those aged between 16 and 18 will also be subject to social media curfews, while the government also aims to stop addictive features such as auto-play and infinite scroll. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 16 July 2026

Features that can be addictive, such as videos auto-playing and personalized content, will be switched off by default for the age group, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology announced on Wednesday. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 July 2026

That heightens buyer enthusiasm and makes the whole process more addictive. — Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 July 2026

Europe is committed to enforcing its legislation that holds platforms accountable for addictive design features, said Henna Virkkunen, an executive vice president at the commission overseeing tech. — Kelvin Chan, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

addict entry 2 + -ive

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for addictive

• constrictive
• predictive
• restrictive
• vindictive
• magnetostrictive

Kids Definition

addictive

adjective

ad·​dic·​tive ə-ˈdik-tiv 

a-

: causing or characterized by addiction

an addictive drug

an addictive game

Medical Definition

addictive

adjective

ad·​dic·​tive ə-ˈdik-tiv 

: causing or characterized by addiction

addictive drugs

Legal Definition

addictive

adjective

ad·​dic·​tive ə-ˈdik-tiv 

: causing or characterized by addiction

addictive drugs