“Cold turkey” means to stop a habit, addiction, or addictive substance (like smoking, caffeine, or drugs) immediately and completely, rather than tapering off gradually. It often refers to the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms experienced during this abrupt cessation, or acting bluntly without preparation. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Usage Examples
- Smoking: “After smoking for twenty years, she quit cold turkey“.
- Caffeine/Diet: “I decided to stop drinking coffee and went cold turkey“.
- Technology/Habits: “He went cold turkey on social media to focus on his work”.
- General Application: “If you want to stop checking your phone, you have to do it cold turkey“. [1, 4, 6, 7, 8]
Synonyms and Related Phrases
- Quit immediately/abruptly
- Stop outright
- Go cold turkey (idiom)
- Abrupt withdrawal
- Quitting instantly [1, 2, 3, 9]
OriginThe phrase originated in the early 20th century, with “cold” implying a blunt or sudden change, and “turkey” likely referring to something straightforward or abrupt (like serving cold leftovers). It has been used to describe the abrupt withdrawal from drug addiction since 1921. [4, 6, 9, 10]
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/cold-turkey
[2] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold%20turkey
[3] https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/go-cold-turkey
[4] https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/cold%20turkey
[5] https://www.gingersoftware.com/content/phrases/cold-turkey
[6] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cio17qjKXhc
[7] https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/go-cold-turkey
[8] https://ielts.idp.com/vietnam/about/news-and-articles/article-cold-turkey/en-gb
[9] https://blogs.missouristate.edu/international/2020/11/30/learn-english-idioms-cold-turkey/