habit-forming

American  

[hab-it-fawr-ming] / ˈhæb ɪtˌfɔr mɪŋ /

adjective

1. tending to cause or encourage addiction, especially through physiological dependence.

   habit-forming drugs.

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habit-forming British  

adjective

1. (of an activity, indulgence, etc) tending to become a habit or addiction

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Etymology

Origin of habit-forming

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

habit-forming

Microsoft-owned LinkedIn hired three-time world Sudoku champion Thomas Snyder as its first-ever puzzlemaster and initially launched three daily puzzle games modeled on the short, habit-forming design the Times pioneered -- a number that has grown.

From Barron's ● May 16, 2026

While the medical establishment has mostly maintained that gabapentin isn’t habit-forming, some patients have reported debilitating adverse effects when they try to taper off it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 25, 2025

"We know that many people, including children, struggle with overspending on loot boxes," he said, adding they were deliberately designed to be "habit-forming."

From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2024

According to the formal definition, antidepressants are not habit-forming.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 6, 2024

This effect could be true even if the bursts are not addictive, and merely just habit-forming.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel