compulsive
adjective/kəmˈpʌlsɪv/
/kəmˈpʌlsɪv/
- (of behaviour) that is difficult to stop or control
- compulsive eating/spending/gambling
Extra Examples- His family had been unaware of his compulsive gambling.
- She went through periods of compulsive overeating.
- The accused had a compulsive urge to drive at excessive speed.
- (of people) not being able to control their behaviour
- a compulsive drinker/gambler/liar
Extra Examples- He was a compulsive gambler.
- The book offers advice and help for compulsive eaters.
- We are able to put compulsive spenders in touch with debt counsellors.
- that makes you pay attention to it because it is so interesting and exciting
- The programme made compulsive viewing.
Word Originlate 16th cent. (in the sense ‘compulsory’): from medieval Latin compulsivus, from compuls- ‘driven, forced’, from the verb compellere, from com- ‘together’ + pellere ‘drive’. Sense (1) (originally a term in psychology) dates from the early 20th cent.
Check pronunciation:
compulsive