junkie

noun

junk·​ie ˈjəŋ-kē 

variants or less commonly junky

plural junkies

1

a

disparaging + offensive : a person who is addicted to narcotics and especially to heroin

b

: a person who gets an unusual amount of pleasure from or has an unusual amount of interest in something

a television news junkie

Adrenaline junkies weren't the only ones who marveled as Austrian daredevil Baumgartner broke the world record for the highest and fastest skydive …

—Maura Judkis

2

: a junk dealer

Synonyms of junkie

• addict
• user

Examples of junkie in a Sentence

heroin junkies wasting their lives

Recent Examples on the Web

While the program has produced lighter moments for political junkies, such as the Allison-Singleton banter, clips of occasional spats between panelists have made the show a messy must-watch for virtual viewers who casually tune in to the tussles on social media. —Jay Stahl, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2026

TikTok obsessives, wellness-culture adherents, and misinformation junkies all end up in need of care. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026

Delaney and Davis exchanged texts that night, two basketball junkies at the top of their respective mountains. —Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026

Glover, born in 1976 in Pomona, was an adrenaline junkie who dreamed of being everything from a stuntman to a race car driver. —Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for junkie

• chunky
• funky
• hunky
• monkey
• spunky

Kids Definition

junkie

noun

junk·​ie

variants also junky

ˈjəŋ-kē 

plural junkies

1

: a person who sells or is addicted to narcotics

2

: a person who gets an unusual amount of pleasure from or is dependent on something

a sugar junkie