workaholic
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of workaholic
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Anna’s become such a fascinating character via ‘The Devil Wears Prada’—the workaholic, controlling editor with iconic hair and sunglasses, who was wildly successful and, for many years, was very good at her job,” says Odell.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 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
People who have worked directly with Musk have described him as both a visionary and a workaholic, who others can only keep up with for so long.
From BBC • Jul. 9, 2025
A confessed workaholic, Swit moved easily from comedy to drama, acting in “Same Time, Next Year,” “Mame” and “The Odd Couple” before moving to Los Angeles to star in “M*A*S*H.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2025
Mom’s boss is an unstoppable robot workaholic lawyer, so this happens a lot.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
