ad-

to, toward; addition; sometimes emphasis

Forms

ad-
ac- — Used before c in Latin.
af- — Used before f in Latin.
ag- — Used before g in Latin.
al- — Used before l in Latin.
ap- — Used before p in Latin.
ar- — Used before r in Latin.
as- — Used before s in Latin.
at- — Used before t in Latin.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *ad, ‘to; near.’

Note

Later Latin-based spellings sometimes restored consonants that had disappeared in French.

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noun / verb

addict

AD-ikt/ˈædɪkt/

Compulsive dependence on a substance or activity.

The gaming addict neglects his meal and tasks while playing.

Man compulsively absorbed in gaming, neglecting a meal and tasks.

Etymology

adLatinto, toward; addition; sometimes emphasis

+dictLatinsay, declare, state

Here, declaring toward someone carried the force of awarding or handing something over. The resulting idea of being given over to a habit led to the noun for a person with a compulsive dependence.

In context

GotToStopIt by Hope & Freedom3:00

doesn't come quickly but it can happen so what does the spouse do a spouse first of all realizes that there's nothing that they can do to make the sex addict get in recovery

Signs and Symptoms of Sex Addiction

More examples

He sought help after becoming addicted to the drug.
The memoir describes how gambling can addict a person to repeated risk.
She rejected the idea that an addict should be defined only by dependence.

Forms

addict · addicts · addicted · addicting

addiction noun — dependence that is difficult to stop

addictive adjective — likely to cause dependence

Similar words

dependent: Describes reliance on a substance.
enthusiast: Someone deeply interested without necessarily being dependent.