withdrawal symptoms

Cultural

A wide range of physical or emotional disorders, including nervousness, headaches, and insomnia, that occur when an individual who is addicted to a substance (such as drugs or alcohol) stops using the substance.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The brain begins to associate uncertainty with excitement and risk with potential relief, creating a loop that is difficult to break even without physical withdrawal symptoms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

However, the problem with staying on antidepressants longer than necessary is that withdrawal symptoms can be more difficult the longer you stay on them.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2025

"I cannot wait to smell my boys, pick up Vinnie - that newborn smell. OMG I swear I'm getting withdrawal symptoms from him."

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2025

Some studies have indicated that instead of suffering withdrawal symptoms, people feel happier during a “digital detox,” whereas others have found no change.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 7, 2023

If so, she surmised, Hilda's mood was a combination of hormonal imbalances and withdrawal symptoms from dopamine not arriving in the pleasure receptors of her brain in quantities commensurate with that earlier experience.

From Tokyo to Tijuana: Gabriele Departing America by Sills, Steven (Steven David Justin)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023