junkie

American  

[juhng-kee] / ˈdʒʌŋ ki /

Or junky

noun

Slang.

plural

junkies

1. Disparaging and Offensive. a person addicted to drugs, especially one addicted to heroin.

2. a person with an insatiable craving for something.

   a chocolate junkie.

3. an enthusiastic follower; fan; devotee.

   a baseball junkie.

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junkie British  

/ ˈdʒʌŋkɪ /

noun

1. an informal word for a drug addict, esp one who injects heroin into himself

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Etymology

Origin of junkie

First recorded in 1920–25; junk ³ + -ie

Example Sentences

Glover, born in 1976 in Pomona, was an adrenaline junkie who dreamed of being everything from a stuntman to a race car driver.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

But anyone who has followed the man’s career knows he’s a performance junkie.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

“I don’t worry about the past, and I try to learn from my mistakes. I’m a data junkie, and I analyze the broad trends,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 3, 2026

“And what I meant by that was, he didn’t have all the hype but he was a football junkie, he had a passion for the game.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2025

My normally harried, rushed mother always turns into a strung-out retail junkie just before Turkey Day.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Related Words

• addict
• drug abuser
• drug addict
• drug fiend
• narcotics addict