habit-forming

adjective

hab·​it-form·​ing ˈha-bət-ˌfȯr-miŋ 

: inducing the formation of an addiction

a habit-forming drug

Synonyms of habit-forming

• addictive
• addicting

Examples of habit-forming in a Sentence

warned the patient to be careful, because morphine can be habit-forming

Recent Examples on the Web

But not all ultraprocessed foods are habit-forming. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 17 June 2026

According to the announcement, spotted by The Verge, the chatbot will only prescribe medications that are considered lower risk, for example SSRIs like sertraline (Zoloft) for depression rather than habit-forming drugs like benzodiazepines or some ADHD drugs like Adderall. — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 4 Apr. 2026

Aggregators will keep winning on habit-forming UX and algorithmic discovery. — Lin Cherry, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026

The protective effect was seen across a wide variety of addictive and habit-forming substances, including cocaine, opioids, alcohol, nicotine and cannabis, adding further evidence to a phenomenon previously flagged in smaller studies. — Nancy Lapid, USA Today, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for habit-forming

• nonconforming
• nonperforming
• brainstorming
• conforming
• deforming
• heartwarming
• informing
• performing
• reforming
• rewarming
• transforming
• forming

Kids Definition

habit-forming

adjective

hab·​it-form·​ing

ˈhab-ət-ˌfȯr-miŋ

: causing an addiction

a habit-forming drug

Medical Definition

habit-forming

adjective

hab·​it-form·​ing ˈhab-ət-ˌfȯr-miŋ 

: inducing the formation of an addiction

a habit-forming prescription painkiller