hooked

American  

[hookt] / hʊkt /

adjective

1. bent like a hook; hook-shaped.

2. having a hook or hooks.

3. made with a hook or by hooking.

4. Informal.

   1. addicted to narcotic drugs.

   2. slavishly interested in, devoted to, or obsessed with.

      He was hooked on television.

5. Slang. married.

---

hooked British  

/ ˈhʊkɪdnɪs, hʊkt /

adjective

1. bent like a hook

2. having a hook or hooks

3. caught or trapped

4. a slang word for married

5. slang addicted to a drug

6. (often foll by on) obsessed (with)

---

Other Word Forms

• hookedness noun
• subhooked adjective

Etymology

Origin of hooked

before 1000; Middle English hoked, Old English hōkede. See hook ¹, -ed ², -ed ³

Example Sentences

Many of our children’s favorite apps and social-media sites were built from the ground up to keep young users hooked and helpless to look away, consequences to their health and well-being be damned.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

"It drew the youth because it made you dance and have fun. I was hooked instantly."

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

A question by jurors in a landmark social media addiction trial on Friday signaled Meta or YouTube may have to pay for letting a girl get hooked onto their platforms.

From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026

Here’s how Hollywood got hooked on hygiene product placement.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

“You really hooked me on yoga,” Coal said.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Related Words

• angled
• arched
• beaked
• bent
• crooked
• curved