workaholic

American  

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

noun

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

• workaholism noun

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

Having taken them to the Champions League for the first time since 1982-83, when it was the European Cup - and then to last season's quarter-finals - workaholic Emery has transformed Villa.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

As they tried to make sense of his fall, some allies wondered whether Karp’s instinct to please friends and clients—typically a virtue for a workaholic corporate lawyer—may have been a vulnerability with Epstein.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

He left behind a seminal 37-volume encyclopedia, the “Natural History,” and the surviving letters of his nephew paint a colorful portrait of a workaholic who rarely slept.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

L.A.-based author and podcaster, Jennifer Romolini, is a reformed workaholic who spent more than 20 years in high-profile positions at women’s magazines and lifestyle websites.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 15, 2025

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

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen