Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for junkie. Search instead for junkies.
Synonyms

junkie

American  
[juhng-kee] / ˈdʒʌŋ ki /
Or junky

noun

Slang.

plural

junkies

  1. Disparaging and Offensive. a person addicted to drugs, especially one addicted to heroin.

  2. a person with an insatiable craving for something.

    a chocolate junkie.

  3. an enthusiastic follower; fan; devotee.

    a baseball junkie.
junkie British  
/ ˈdʒʌŋkɪ /

noun

  1. an informal word for a drug addict, esp one who injects heroin into himself

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of junkie

First recorded in 1920–25; junk 3 + -ie

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.

But anyone who has followed the man’s career knows he’s a performance junkie.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

“I don’t worry about the past, and I try to learn from my mistakes. I’m a data junkie, and I analyze the broad trends,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 3, 2026

“When it works, it works. I’m not a collector; I’m an estate-sale junkie, which makes it way less serious.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2025

As a massage junkie, I prefer the warmth and responsiveness of human touch.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2024

Kallman is a self-described music junkie with a personal collection of two hundred thousand records and CDs.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

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.