Noawadays I’m seeing and hearing the word “addicting” used a lot as an adjective. Is there a difference in meaning between “addicting” and “addictive”? Is one preferred? This is admittedly mundane and pointless, but it’s been on my mind lately.
There are two meanings, in common parlance, of “addictive” (tending to cause addiction vs. susceptible to or characterized by addiction) could be distinguished. “Addicting” is one way to distinguish the first: People with addictive personalities should avoid addicting drugs.
Heroin is addictive.
Toll house cookies are addicting.
Addicting is more proactive, edgier, powerful!
While addictive is more clinical.
To me it’s a simple case of using grammar to shift the agent.
“Addictive” is a passive participle, describing the substance in question as having a latent quality. It takes someone to make an active, conscious decision to use, consume or do something addictive to actually get addicted.
To call something “addicting” makes it sound more like it lurks in wait for passers-by and GETS them “addicted”. In other words, it’s not entirely the addict’s fault they’re addicted: the stuff is “addicting” and they totally didn’t expect that when they gave it a try, so now they’re addicted.
I’ve heard it more to distinguish between a substance that is inherently addictive, and something that is addictive to certain people. It’s between physiological and psychological addiction.
Sugar is addicting to people with a sweet tooth. But heroin is addictive. The latter is an inherent property of the substance. The former requires action. And I don’t think the substance is being anthropomorphized.
I accidentally dropped a small metal spoon on my penis. The sound? Addicting.