cold turkey

1 of 2

noun

1
: abrupt complete cessation of the use of an addictive drug
also : the symptoms experienced by a person undergoing withdrawal from a drug
2
: unrelieved blunt language or procedure
3
: a cold aloof person
cold-turkey transitive verb

cold turkey

2 of 2

adverb

: all at once : abruptly: such as
a
: without a period of gradual adjustment, adaptation, or withdrawal
quit smoking cold turkey
b
: without preparation
a new player who started the season cold turkey

Examples of cold turkey in a Sentence

Noun I tried lots of ways to stop smoking, even cold turkey. my new boss is a cold turkey and definitely not one for chitchat
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Some people saved their ration, making a small cake once every couple of weeks; others tried various expedients, from substituting carrots and parsnips to just going cold turkey. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 Quitting hydrocarbons cold turkey would set civilization back hundreds of years. Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
Adverb
The girls’ trip turns into a kind of unintended intervention, even a detox, especially once she’s deprived of her phone and forced to go cold turkey. Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 2022 He’s tried going cold turkey by himself and in clean and sober facilities. Kevin Fagan, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Mar. 2022 See all Example Sentences for cold turkey 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1941, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cold turkey was in 1919

Dictionary Entries Near cold turkey

Cite this Entry

“Cold turkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold%20turkey. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

cold turkey

noun
cold tur·​key -ˈtər-kē How to pronounce cold turkey (audio)
: abrupt complete cessation of the use of an addictive drug
also : the symptoms experienced by one undergoing withdrawal from a drug
cold-turkey adverb or transitive verb

More from Merriam-Webster on cold turkey

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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