Addicting-Addictive | Commonly Confused Words

Addicting

Causing someone to want to do something repeatedly or continuously.

/əˈdɪktɪv/

Causing a strong and sometimes harmful need to regularly have or do something

Addictive is typically used to describe something that has the potential to cause addiction, like a substance or activity.
Addicting is more informal and often used to describe something that one finds personally compelling or hard to give up, despite not literally causing addiction.
Both words are derived from the same root but are used in slightly different contexts to express the effect something has on behavior.
A good tip is to remember that addictive often conveys a broader societal or clinical recognition of causing addiction, while addicting might be used in casual conversation.
If youre discussing a habit-forming activity or substance, addictive' is the more precise term.