Addiction is when someone feels they need something a lot, like a habit they find hard to stop. People often use special phrases called idioms to talk about addiction in a fun or creative way. These idioms help us understand how it feels to want something too much.
In this article, you will learn about idioms for addiction. These phrases show different ideas about addiction and help make talking about it easier. Knowing these idioms can help you understand stories, movies, and conversations better. Let’s explore these interesting phrases together.
Idioms for Addiction
1. Hooked
Meaning: Wanting something so much you can’t stop.
Samples: He got hooked on video games and played every day. / She was hooked on candy and ate too much.
To Put it Another Way: I can’t stop doing it. / It’s hard to quit.
2. Craving
Meaning: A strong desire for something.
Samples: After dinner, she had a craving for ice cream. / He felt a craving for his favorite soda.
To Put it Another Way: I really want it. / I’m wishing for it a lot.
3. Addicted
Meaning: Needing something all the time.
Samples: He is addicted to his phone and checks it often. / She was addicted to watching TV.
To Put it Another Way: I can’t live without it. / I have to have it.
4. Can’t get enough
Meaning: Always wanting more of something.
Samples: She can’t get enough of playing soccer. / He can’t get enough of chocolate cake.
To Put it Another Way: I want more and more. / It’s never enough for me.
5. Fall off the wagon
Meaning: Start doing a bad habit again after trying to stop.
Samples: He fell off the wagon and started smoking again. / She fell off the wagon and ate too much junk food.
To Put it Another Way: I tried to stop but started again. / I went back to my old habit.
6. Give it up
Meaning: Stop doing something bad or hard to quit.
Samples: He gave up soda for a month. / She gave up video games for a week.
To Put it Another Way: I stopped doing it. / I quit the habit.
7. Kick the habit
Meaning: Stop a bad habit.
Samples: He wants to kick the habit of biting his nails. / She kicked the habit of watching too much TV.
To Put it Another Way: I stopped doing something bad. / I broke the habit.
8. Can’t kick it
Meaning: Unable to stop a habit.
Samples: He can’t kick the habit of checking his phone at night. / She can’t kick her snack cravings.
To Put it Another Way: I try but I can’t stop. / It’s really hard to quit.
9. On the wagon
Meaning: Not doing a bad habit anymore.
Samples: After a month, he was on the wagon and didn’t play video games. / She stayed on the wagon and didn’t eat candy.
To Put it Another Way: I am not doing it now. / I stopped the habit.
10. Cold turkey
Meaning: Stop something suddenly without easing off.
Samples: He quit sweets cold turkey last week. / She stopped watching TV cold turkey.
To Put it Another Way: I stopped all at once. / I stopped quickly.
11. Chained to
Meaning: Feeling stuck to a habit or thing.
Samples: He felt chained to his phone all day. / She was chained to eating snacks after school.
To Put it Another Way: I can’t break free. / I feel stuck to it.
12. Can’t live without
Meaning: Feeling like you need something to live happily.
Samples: He said he can’t live without video games. / She can’t live without her morning coffee.
To Put it Another Way: I need it all the time. / It’s very important to me.
13. Slave to
Meaning: Controlled by a habit or desire.
Samples: She was a slave to her phone notifications. / He felt like a slave to eating candy.
To Put it Another Way: It controls me. / I have to do it.
14. Hit rock bottom
Meaning: Reach the worst point because of addiction.
Samples: After missing school, he hit rock bottom. / She hit rock bottom when she lost her keys every day.
To Put it Another Way: Things got very bad. / I was at the lowest point.
15. Losing control
Meaning: Not able to stop doing something.
Samples: He was losing control of his video game time. / She was losing control of eating snacks.
To Put it Another Way: I can’t stop myself. / It’s too hard to control.
16. Deep into
Meaning: Very involved in a habit or addiction.
Samples: He was deep into watching shows every night. / She was deep into her phone games.
To Put it Another Way: I spend a lot of time on it. / I am very involved.
17. Out of hand
Meaning: When a habit or problem gets too big.
Samples: His video game playing got out of hand. / Her candy eating got out of hand during the holidays.
To Put it Another Way: It got too much. / It’s more than I can handle.
18. Can’t put it down
Meaning: Hard to stop doing something fun or addictive.
Samples: He couldn’t put down his new book. / She couldn’t put down her phone.
To Put it Another Way: I don’t want to stop. / I keep doing it.
19. Obsessed with
Meaning: Always thinking about or doing something.
Samples: He was obsessed with his video games. / She was obsessed with checking social media.
To Put it Another Way: I think about it all the time. / I can’t stop doing it.
20. In too deep
Meaning: Too far involved in a bad habit or problem.
Samples: He was in too deep with watching TV late. / She was in too deep with eating sweets.
To Put it Another Way: I am very involved and can’t stop. / It’s hard to get out now.
21. On a slippery slope
Meaning: Slowly getting worse with a bad habit.
Samples: He was on a slippery slope with staying up late playing games. / She was on a slippery slope with eating too much junk food.
To Put it Another Way: Things are getting worse slowly. / It’s a hard path to stop.
22. Feeding the habit
Meaning: Doing something to keep a habit going.
Samples: He kept feeding the habit by buying more candy. / She fed her phone habit by always checking messages.
To Put it Another Way: I keep doing it to stay in the habit. / I make it stronger.
23. Throw in the towel
Meaning: Give up trying to stop a habit.
Samples: He threw in the towel after trying to stop gaming. / She threw in the towel when she couldn’t stop snacking.
To Put it Another Way: I gave up trying. / I quit trying to stop.
24. Back on the wagon
Meaning: Start trying again to stop a habit.
Samples: After eating candy, he got back on the wagon. / She got back on the wagon and stopped watching TV.
To Put it Another Way: I’m trying again to stop. / I’m back to good habits.
25. A slip-up
Meaning: A small mistake after trying to stop a habit.
Samples: Eating a cookie was a slip-up after dieting. / Checking the phone was a slip-up after trying to stop.
To Put it Another Way: I made a small mistake. / I slipped but will try again.
26. Going cold turkey
Meaning: Quit a habit all at once without slowing down.
Samples: He went cold turkey and stopped soda. / She went cold turkey on watching cartoons.
To Put it Another Way: I stopped suddenly. / I quit quickly.
27. Under the thumb
Meaning: Controlled by a habit or someone else.
Samples: He felt under the thumb of his phone addiction. / She was under the thumb of her sweet cravings.
To Put it Another Way: Something controls me. / I can’t do what I want.
28. Binge on
Meaning: Doing a lot of something all at once.
Samples: He binged on video games all weekend. / She binged on candy at the party.
To Put it Another Way: I did too much at one time. / I overdid it.
29. A tough habit to break
Meaning: A habit that is very hard to stop.
Samples: Watching TV all night was a tough habit to break. / Eating chips before bed was a tough habit to break.
To Put it Another Way: It’s hard to stop doing it. / It’s a strong habit.
30. Lose yourself in
Meaning: Get so involved in something that you forget other things.
Samples: He lost himself in playing games for hours. / She lost herself in watching videos.
To Put it Another Way: I forget everything else. / I get very focused on it
Find the Topics: Idioms for Addiction
Last weekend, Emma tried to kick the habit of playing video games all day. It was hard because she was really hooked on her favorite game. Her mom told her to try going cold turkey and stop all at once. Emma wanted to, but sometimes she would have a slip-up and play a little.
At school, Emma’s friend Jake said he was on the wagon with eating fewer sweets. He said he used to be a slave to candy, but now he was doing better. Emma was proud of him. Sometimes, she felt like she was chained to her phone, and she wished she could stop.
One night, Emma almost threw in the towel because it felt too hard. But she remembered her goal and kept trying.
Can you underline or list all 8 idioms for addiction in the story above?
Answer Key
- Kick the habit
- Hooked
- Cold turkey
- Slip-up
- On the wagon
- Slave to
- Chained to
- Threw in the towel
Conclusion
Idioms for addiction help us talk about habits in simple and clear ways. They show what it feels like to want something a lot or try to stop. Learning these phrases can help you understand stories and everyday talks better. Whether you are hooked on something or trying to kick the habit, knowing these idioms makes it easier to share your feelings.
