shopaholic

noun

shop·​a·​hol·​ic ˌshä-pə-ˈhȯ-lik How to pronounce shopaholic (audio)
-ˈhä-
: one who is extremely or excessively fond of shopping

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The word alcoholic refers to someone who has a serious disorder. Addictive shopping can be serious, too, but the word shopaholic is most often used playfully to suggest mere excess rather than true addiction. Shopaholic first appeared in print in 1977. It was formed on the model of alcoholic, which was itself created many years earlier by combining alcohol with -ic, meaning "of or relating to." People evidently saw a parallel between someone addicted to alcohol and someone "addicted" to shopping. This is not the first time alcoholic has spawned a spinoff word-shopaholic was preceded by workaholic and chocoholic, both of which first turned up in 1968.

Examples of shopaholic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For the foreseeable future, then, American shopaholics should skip Bond Street and head straight for the Champs-Elysées. Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2024 Even then, Ariel’s coming of age was criticized in some circles for making its heroine a boy-crazy shopaholic, but the fact that millennials continue to lovingly mock it years later attests to its endurance as a classic. Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 30 July 2023 The habits and values of a 2023 shopaholic, however, look different from those of a 1995 shopaholic. Rachel Seo, Variety, 1 Feb. 2023 Online shopaholics who enjoy a side of culture with their free shipping. Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2023 Every business leader, including me, is preparing a wish list like a shopaholic before a Black Friday sale. Prasanna Singaraju, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2023 In the main gallery, the themes of anatomy, identity, and magic are explored through an eye-catching display that would entice any shopaholic. David Nash, Town & Country, 8 Sep. 2022 Brady says the new version of Hilary (originated by Karyn Parsons) is inspired by the shopaholic. Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2022 The global pandemic brought out the online shopaholic in us all. Stefan Katanic, Forbes, 7 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shopaholic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shopaholic was in 1977

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Cite this Entry

“Shopaholic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shopaholic. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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