addict
Definitions
A person who cannot stop using a harmful substance or doing something; (informal) an enthusiast
瘾君子，成瘾者；（非正式）迷
To cause someone to become dependent on something (often passive: be addicted to)
使上瘾，使沉迷
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Latin addicere (ad- 'to' + dicere 'to say, pronounce'). In Roman law it meant to 'award' or 'assign' a person by a formal pronouncement — a debtor could be addictus, handed over to his creditor. English kept the metaphor: an addict has been 'assigned' to a habit, handed over to it. The drug, in effect, owns him.
Root dic still carries 82 more wordsWhy It Means This
The biggest semantic leap in the family. The Roman addicere was a courtroom verb: a judge could 'say someone over' to another person as property. That image — being formally handed over, bound by a pronouncement — survives in addiction: the addict is bound to a substance as if by a verdict no one can appeal.
Common Collocations
- 1.drug addict毒品成瘾者
- 2.gaming addict游戏成瘾者
Example Sentences
- 1.
He sought treatment after admitting he was a gambling addict.
- 2.
Many people become addicted to their phones without realizing it.
- 3.
She's a total fitness addict — she trains every single day.