Hooked

Part of Speech

Adjective

Pronunciation

/hʊkt/

Definitions

• Curved or bent like a hook.
• Strongly attracted to or addicted to something.

Usage Examples

• "The bird had a sharp, hooked beak for tearing flesh."
• "She got hooked on mystery novels and couldn't stop reading."

Etymology

Derived from the noun "hook," dating back to Old English hōc, meaning a curved or bent object.

Synonyms

• Curved
• Bent
• Addicted
• Obsessed

Antonyms

• Straight
• Uninterested

Translations

Regional Pronunciation Variations

• American English: /hʊkt/
• British English: /hʊkt/
• Indian English: /hʊkt/

Historical Usage

Originally used in reference to physical shapes, "hooked" later evolved to describe psychological dependency, particularly in the 20th century with the rise of consumer culture.

Cultural Nuances

The term hooked is widely used in informal contexts to describe obsession, particularly with entertainment, drugs, or social media.

More Information

Beyond addiction or shape, "hooked" has been used metaphorically to describe emotional attachment. It is frequently used in marketing to describe customer engagement strategies.