addictive
adjective
ad·dic·tive
ə-ˈdik-tiv 
a-
: causing or characterized by addiction
an addictive drug
an addictive personality
Examples of addictive in a Sentence
highly addictive drugs like crack and heroin
the addictive thrill of surfing
Recent Examples on the Web
Meta and YouTube are accused of intentionally designing addictive features that hooked a now-20-year-old woman as a child and harmed her mental health.
—
Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Ten manufacturers of ultraprocessed foods are also facing a lawsuit, filed in December by San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, that alleges companies knowingly engineered and marketed addictive, dangerous products while hiding the risks and causing a public health crisis.
—Sarah Koch, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
Among the frenzy of videos promoting healthier diets, marathon running, and sobriety, one trend catching on with young people—ironically on social media—is the idea of a digital detox, taking time away from our phone’s most addictive apps to improve everything from sleep to focus.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Opponents criticized the effort for attempting to fund property tax relief with a potentially addictive activity.
—Makenzie Huber, States Newsroom, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for addictive
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Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Ten manufacturers of ultraprocessed foods are also facing a lawsuit, filed in December by San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, that alleges companies knowingly engineered and marketed addictive, dangerous products while hiding the risks and causing a public health crisis.
—Sarah Koch, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
Among the frenzy of videos promoting healthier diets, marathon running, and sobriety, one trend catching on with young people—ironically on social media—is the idea of a digital detox, taking time away from our phone’s most addictive apps to improve everything from sleep to focus.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Opponents criticized the effort for attempting to fund property tax relief with a potentially addictive activity.
—Makenzie Huber, States Newsroom, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for addictive
Cite this Entry
“Addictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/addictive. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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