workaholic

American  

[wurk-uh-haw-lik, -hol-ik] / ˌwɜrk əˈhɔ lɪk, -ˈhɒl ɪk /

noun

• workaholics
  plural

1. a person who works compulsively at the expense of other pursuits.

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workaholic British  

/ ˌwɜːkəˈhɒlɪk /

noun

1. 1. a person obsessively addicted to work

   2. ( as modifier )

      workaholic behaviour

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• workaholism
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• workaholics
  plural

Etymology

Origin of workaholic

First recorded in 1965–70; work + -aholic

Explanation

A workaholic is someone who can't stop working. Workaholics are obsessed with working to an unhealthy degree. Just as an alcoholic has an unhealthy addiction to alcohol, workaholics have an unhealthy addiction to work. Wanting to work all the time might sound like a harmless desire, but for some people it's a real problem. A workaholic goes to work early and stays late. A workaholic might have trouble relaxing. Many workaholics neglect their families and friends because all they care about is work. Workaholics take a good thing — working — too far.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

workaholic workaholics

Japan will ease overtime regulation starting Tuesday in a move meant to help spur economic growth but criticised as a relapse into the country's ingrained workaholic culture.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

The move comes after the government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi -- a self-proclaimed workaholic -- adopted a growth strategy in July calling for revisions to the current oversight of work hours.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

Musk, who wears the mantle of a workaholic proudly, has often said he's not in business simply to make money - claims he repeated recently with regard to his Twitter takeover.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

It usually involved a down-on-her-luck hopeless romantic or a mature workaholic attempting to be more spontaneous in her dating life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026

“What’s it like going from being a workaholic to this?”

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

I feel like we all subconsciously know that it’s not good for us to be relentless workaholics, to always be striving, always moving our own goal posts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026

Only workaholics and delusional optimists should organize a Venice Biennale, as the Brazilian curator Adriano Pedrosa discovered during the countless flights and midnight meetings that have crammed his calendar for the past two years.

From New York Times ● Apr. 10, 2024

She believes workaholics are often seeking to avoid difficult feelings like low self-esteem.

From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2024

My parents had eight kids, and they both were workaholics, and occasionally they'd go to Chicago, the big city, and have a romantic weekend.

From Salon ● Dec. 12, 2023

They were obviously both workaholics — another more modern term.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2022