habit-forming
Hard to quit
Habit-forming describes substances or activities that create dependency through repeated use.
The term applies most often to drugs and medications: Opioids are highly habit-forming.
It extends to behaviors: Social media can be habit-forming.
The phrase suggests gradual entrenchment rather than immediate addiction—something becomes harder to quit the longer you do it.
Deeply dependent or bent
- narcoticAddictive sedative drug
- intoxicatingCausing altered mental state
- captivatingDeeply holding one's attention
- ensnaringCatching by cunning
compelling · irresistible · seductive · enthralling · engrossing · alluring · bewitching · enchanting
Intense prolonged craving
- desireIntense wanting
- appetiteDesire for food
- hungerNeed for nourishment
- longingIntense, persistent desire
thirst · itch · urge · need · withdrawal · ache · coveting · lust
Act of taking away
- toleranceWillingness to accept difference
- detoxificationRemoving harmful substances internally
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
- methadoneSynthetic addiction treatment opioid
suboxone · naltrexone · abstinence · intervention · overdose · sobriety · twelve-step · sponsor
Irresistible urge to act
- urgeStrong inner drive
- impulseSudden urge to act
- involuntaryNot under conscious control
- uncontrollableImpossible to restrain
driven · fixation · preoccupation · obsession · mania · monomania · repetitive · ritualistic
Ceremonial set of actions
- regimenPrescribed course of treatment
- patternRecurring arrangement or template
- practiceRepeated work toward mastery
- customHabitual group practice
cycle · habituation · repetition · discipline · regularity · consistency · conditioning · automaticity
hooked
Deeply dependent or bent
- narcoticAddictive sedative drug
- intoxicatingCausing altered mental state
- captivatingDeeply holding one's attention
ensnaring · compelling · irresistible · seductive · enthralling · engrossing · alluring · bewitching · enchanting · spellbinding
yearning
Intense prolonged craving
longing · thirst · itch · urge · need · withdrawal · ache · coveting · lust · wanting
withdrawal
Act of taking away
- toleranceWillingness to accept difference
- detoxificationRemoving harmful substances internally
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
methadone · suboxone · naltrexone · abstinence · intervention · overdose · sobriety · twelve-step · sponsor · therapy
compulsion
Irresistible urge to act
- urgeStrong inner drive
- impulseSudden urge to act
- involuntaryNot under conscious control
uncontrollable · driven · fixation · preoccupation · obsession · mania · monomania · repetitive · ritualistic · impelled
ritual
Ceremonial set of actions
- regimenPrescribed course of treatment
- patternRecurring arrangement or template
- practiceRepeated work toward mastery
custom · cycle · habituation · repetition · discipline · regularity · consistency · conditioning · automaticity · reinforcement
- Drug Traitsaddictive, potent, toxic, sedative, narcotic
- captivatingcaptivating, fascinating, compelling, mesmerizing, hypnotic
habit-formingtake-it-or-leave-it
Offer without compromise
casual · occasional · recreational · disposable · forgettable
form, habit, habits, formation, habitual, forming, inhabitant, inhabit, formative