Cold Turkey Definition & Meaning

American

British

More Idioms

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms cold turkey 1 American [kohld tur-kee] / ˈkoʊld ˈtɜr ki /

noun

Informal.

1. abrupt and complete withdrawal from the use of an addictive substance, as a narcotic drug, alcohol, or tobacco.

idioms

1. go cold turkey,

   1. to stop using an addictive substance abruptly and completely.

   2. to undergo sudden and complete withdrawal from a habitual activity or behavior pattern.

   3. to begin or do something without planning, preparation, or practice.

cold-turkey 2 American [kohld-tur-kee] / ˈkoʊldˈtɜr ki /

verb (used with object)

1. to withdraw from (an addictive substance or a habit) abruptly and completely.

verb (used without object)

1. to withdraw from an addictive substance or a habit abruptly and completely.

adjective

1. abrupt and complete.

   cold-turkey withdrawal from drugs.

cold turkey British

noun

1. slang a method of curing drug addiction by abrupt withdrawal of all doses

2. the withdrawal symptoms, esp nausea and shivering, brought on by this method

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 cold turkey More Idioms

1. Immediate, complete withdrawal from something, especially an addictive substance; also, without planning or preparation. For example, My bad shoulder forced me to quit playing tennis cold turkey, or I'd never done any rock climbing, but decided to try it cold turkey. This term may have come from the earlier expression talk turkey (for blunt speaking). At first used strictly for abrupt withdrawal from drugs or alcohol, it soon was transferred to quitting any habit or activity. [Early 1900s]

Etymology

Origin of cold turkey1

An Americanism dating back to 1915–20; probably from the phrase to talk cold turkey “to speak bluntly about something unpleasant,” variant of to talk turkey; turkey

Origin of cold-turkey2

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“It was terrifying. You can’t just go cold turkey on these things,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

While it won’t kill you like some other vices, trying to quit this spiritually corrosive habit cold turkey is inadvisable.

From Salon

Starting with a super cold turkey will result in a longer roasting time.

From Salon

"We went cold turkey really, but we managed it. We've just got used to living without Russian pipeline gas," explains Dr Jack Sharples, senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

From BBC

If you’re trying to scale back on social media, maybe limit yourself to 15 minutes a day, instead of going cold turkey.

From Seattle Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.