cold turkey
Cold turkey (noun) means the abrupt and complete withdrawal from an addictive substance, without tapering the dose or using any medication to soften the effects; also the physical symptoms this produces. Example: “He quit heroin cold turkey and shook for four days straight.”
How to Use Cold turkey
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishStopping a habit all at once instead of cutting down slowly.
Informal but universally understood, including in medical settings where it describes unassisted withdrawal.
The most common form is the verb phrase 'go cold turkey', not 'do cold turkey'.
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He quit heroin _____ and shook for four days straight.
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Rhymes for cold turkey
See all rhymes for cold turkey →Frequently Asked Questions
What does going cold turkey mean?
It means stopping an addictive habit all at once instead of cutting down gradually. The phrase is used most often about drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, but people also apply it loosely to sugar, gambling or screen time.
Is quitting cold turkey safe?
It depends entirely on the substance. Stopping nicotine or caffeine abruptly is uncomfortable but not dangerous, whereas suddenly stopping alcohol or benzodiazepines after heavy long-term use can cause seizures and can be fatal, so medical supervision is needed.
Why is it called cold turkey?
The origin is not settled. A widely repeated explanation links it to the cold, goose-pimpled skin of someone in withdrawal, but this is a popular guess rather than documented fact.