How do you use "Cold turkey" in a sentence?

He quit smoking cold turkey. I'm going cold turkey on caffeine. Cold turkey is the hardest way to quit.

Cold turkey

Q: What does "Cold turkey" mean?

Stopping an addiction abruptly without tapering off. Going 'cold turkey' means quitting an addiction suddenly and completely—no gradual reduction. Most commonly used for drug, alcohol, or cigarette withdrawal.

Slang Term AmericanBritishAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Casual

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Meaning: Stopping an addiction abruptly without tapering off.

突然戒除成瘾，不逐渐减少。

Dejar una adicción abruptamente sin reducirla gradualmente.

徐々に減らさずに依存症を突然止める。

서서히 줄이지 않고 중독을 갑자기 끊는 것.

Going 'cold turkey' means quitting an addiction suddenly and completely—no gradual reduction. Most commonly used for drug, alcohol, or cigarette withdrawal.

'Cold turkey'戒断意味着突然完全戒掉成瘾——没有逐渐减少。最常用于戒毒、戒酒或戒烟。

'Dejarlo de golpe' significa abandonar una adicción de repente y completamente—sin reducción gradual. Se usa más comúnmente para el síndrome de abstinencia de drogas, alcohol o cigarrillos.

「cold turkey」でやめるとは、依存を突然完全にやめること—徐々に減らさない。最も一般的に薬物、アルコール、またはタバコの禁断に使われます。

'Cold turkey'로 끊는다는 것은 중독을 갑자기 완전히 끊는 것—점진적 감소 없이. 주로 약물, 알코올, 담배 금단에 사용된다.

Examples

He quit smoking cold turkey.
他一下子就把烟戒了
Dejó de fumar de golpe
彼は一気にタバコをやめた
그는 담배를 단번에 끊었다.
I'm going cold turkey on caffeine.
我要一次性戒掉咖啡因
Voy a dejar la cafeína de golpe
カフェインを一気に断つ
카페인을 단번에 끊으려고 해.
Cold turkey is the hardest way to quit.
一下子戒掉是最难的方式
Dejarlo de golpe es la forma más difícil
一気にやめるのが一番つらい
단번에 끊는 게 가장 힘들다.

Pronunciation

/kəʊld ˈtɜːki/

Usage Guide

Context: addiction, quitting, habits

Tone: determined, descriptive

✓ Do Say

Cold turkey
突然戒掉
De golpe
きっぱりやめる
단번에 끊기
Go cold turkey
一下子戒掉
Dejarlo de golpe
一気にやめる
단번에 끊다
Quit cold turkey
说戒就戒了
Lo dejó de golpe
急にやめた
단칼에 끊었다

Common Mistakes

Specifically about stopping abruptly, not gradually

Origin & History

American slang from the 1920s. Possibly from the goose bumps and pale, clammy skin of withdrawal resembling cold turkey skin. Also connects to 'talking turkey' (plain speaking).

Etymology: Possibly from withdrawal symptoms resembling cold turkey skin

First recorded: 1920s American

Cultural Context

Era: 1920s onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Addiction recovery

Regional notes: American origin, global usage.

Variations

Cold turkeyGo cold turkey