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.

---

junkie British  

/ ˈdʒʌŋkɪ /

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of junkie

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

Example Sentences

The actress plays an outdoors-loving adrenaline junkie harassed by a group of hunters in director Baltasar Kormákur’s spectacular, unsettling film.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

For example, agents can talk about the latest game to a sports fan and about current events to a news junkie.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 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

Kallman is a self-described music junkie with a personal collection of two hundred thousand records and CDs.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

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