compulsive
Hard to control or resist
If a behavior is compulsive, a person feels they must do it again and again, even if they want to stop.
compulsive [behavior/habit/urge]; compulsive [doing something]
- His compulsive checking of his phone made it hard for him to focus at work.
- The app was criticized for encouraging compulsive spending.
- She sought help for compulsive eating after years of trying to manage it alone.
- He has a compulsive habit of checking the door.
- Compulsive gambling can cause serious problems.
Habitually driven person
A compulsive person keeps doing something again and again and finds it hard to stop.
a compulsive [liar/gambler/shopper]; [someone] is compulsive about [something]
- He was a compulsive liar, and even his friends stopped believing him.
- A compulsive gambler may keep betting despite serious financial losses.
- She is compulsive about cleaning, especially when she feels anxious.
- He is a compulsive shopper.
- A compulsive liar lies very often.
Irresistibly interesting
If a book, show, or story is compulsive, it is so interesting that you do not want to stop.
compulsive [reading/viewing/listening]
- The documentary makes compulsive viewing, even if you know how the story ends.
- Her memoir is compulsive reading from the first page.
- The podcast became compulsive listening for fans of true crime.
- The show is compulsive viewing.
- This book is compulsive reading.
- Base: compulsive
compulsive eating
1Uncontrolled repeated eating
Compulsive eating is eating because you feel a strong urge, not just because you are hungry, and finding it hard to stop.
- Stress made her compulsive eating worse.
- The program helps people understand the emotions behind compulsive eating.
- He talked openly about years of compulsive eating and shame around food.
compulsive gambler
1Person unable to stop gambling
A compulsive gambler cannot easily stop gambling, even when it causes problems.
- He admitted he was a compulsive gambler after losing most of his savings.
- The charity runs a helpline for compulsive gamblers and their families.
- A compulsive gambler may keep betting in an attempt to win back losses.
compulsive hoarding
1Uncontrolled saving of possessions
Compulsive hoarding means keeping too many things and finding it very hard to throw them away.
- Compulsive hoarding can make a home unsafe to live in.
- The documentary followed families affected by compulsive hoarding.
- Therapy helped him understand the anxiety behind his compulsive hoarding.
compulsive liar
1person who lies repeatedly by habit
A person who lies again and again because they feel a strong need or habit to lie.
- She described her ex-boyfriend as a compulsive liar who could never tell a straight story.
- If he is a compulsive liar, it will be hard for you to know when he is honest.
compulsive liar
1Habitual uncontrolled liar
A compulsive liar is someone who lies again and again and finds it hard to stop.
- After years of excuses, she realized he was a compulsive liar.
- The article describes him as a compulsive liar who invented stories about his past.
- It is hard to rebuild trust when people think you are a compulsive liar.
compulsive shopping
1Uncontrolled repeated buying
Compulsive shopping is shopping again and again because of a strong urge, even when it causes problems.
- Online stores can make compulsive shopping easier to hide.
- She joined a support group to deal with compulsive shopping.
- Compulsive shopping left him with credit card debt he could not manage.
obsessive-compulsive
1having OCD-like traits
Obsessive-compulsive means related to OCD or similar repeated thoughts and actions.
- The clinician noted obsessive-compulsive symptoms, including repeated hand-washing.
- He described obsessive-compulsive behaviors that took hours each day.
obsessive-compulsive
1Related to obsessions and compulsions
Obsessive-compulsive behavior involves repeated unwanted thoughts and repeated actions that are hard to stop.
- The therapist asked about his obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
- She showed some obsessive-compulsive tendencies, especially around checking locks.
- The study looked at obsessive-compulsive behavior in children and teenagers.
obsessive-compulsive disorder
1OCD mental health condition
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is when unwanted thoughts and repeated actions are hard to control.
- He was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder in his twenties.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder can involve compulsive checking or mental rituals.
- Treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder often includes therapy and, sometimes, medication.
obsessive-compulsive disorder
1Anxiety-related mental health condition
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a condition that makes someone have repeated unwanted thoughts and do repeated actions to reduce anxiety.
- She was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder in her early twenties.
- Treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder often includes therapy and sometimes medication.
- His obsessive-compulsive disorder made everyday tasks take much longer.