shopaholic

noun

shop·a·hol·ic ˌshä-pə-ˈhȯ-lik

-ˈhä-

: one who is extremely or excessively fond of shopping

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The word alcoholic refers to someone who has a serious disorder. Addictive shopping can be serious, too, but the word shopaholic is most often used playfully to suggest mere excess rather than true addiction. Shopaholic first appeared in print in 1977. It was formed on the model of alcoholic, which was itself created many years earlier by combining alcohol with -ic, meaning "of or relating to." People evidently saw a parallel between someone addicted to alcohol and someone "addicted" to shopping. This is not the first time alcoholic has spawned a spinoff word-shopaholic was preceded by workaholic and chocoholic, both of which first turned up in 1968.

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Now, things are changing, and the capital is becoming a must-visit for adventurous shopaholics. —Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Nov. 2024 And shopaholics are in luck, since the autumn/winter 2024 collection is shoppable now. —Anika Reed, USA TODAY, 15 Sep. 2024