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

In March, a jury found Meta and YouTube liable for creating products that led to harmful and addictive behavior by young users. — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Safety by default standards also place limits on the manipulation, algorithmic restraint and other addictive mechanisms that may lead to psychological harm in vulnerable populations such as young people. — Ari Lightman, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026

The motivation to hit the road, present the music and see the faces of the fans is addictive, but after days of long bus rides and transitory environs, there’s a buzz that comes from getting back to the family. — Tom Roland, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026

Florida accuses the company of knowingly engineering its platforms to be addictive to teens, and misleading consumers about its safety. — Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 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