“Go Cold Turkey” means stopping something suddenly and completely, especially an addictive or habitual substance. This page limits itself to the documented idiom and does not turn that definition into withdrawal or medical advice.
ReviewedEvidence1 sourceSectionPhrases & Idioms
Quick answer
“Go cold turkey” means to stop an addictive or habitual substance or activity suddenly and completely.
Key details
Canonical Formgo cold turkey
Core Meaningto stop taking or doing something suddenly and completely, especially something a person has become dependent on
Further guidance
Contextual Examples
He went cold turkey on social media during exam week.
In a medical context, saying someone plans to go cold turkey describes the abrupt stop; it is not by itself advice that the approach is safe.
History Boundary
The documented modern meaning is published without claiming an exact inventor, coinage date, or absolute first use.
Meaning
to stop taking or doing something suddenly and completely, especially something a person has become dependent on
Meaning Boundary
The phrase describes an abrupt-stop method; it does not establish whether that method is medically safe for a particular substance or person. Use qualified health guidance for medical decisions.
Practical Use
Use the idiom for stopping a habitual or addictive substance or activity suddenly and completely rather than reducing it gradually.
Usage Boundary
Use it for abrupt stopping; the idiom itself is not medical guidance because withdrawal risk depends on substance and situation.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
A “change of heart” means changing your opinion or feelings about something. The guide establishes the present-day idiom and does not invent an exact coinage or first-use account.
“Cry over spilled milk” means dwell on or regret something that has already happened and cannot be changed, especially when continued regret is not useful. British English also uses the variant “cry over spilt milk.”
The idiom describes a highly emotional moment in which a person reacts quickly and with less reflection than they might show later. It can explain the circumstances around an impulsive remark or action, but it does not by itself excuse the behavior or remove responsibility for it.
“Get cold feet” describes suddenly losing the nerve to carry out a plan, especially an important one. This guide records the current idiom meaning supported by Cambridge without asserting an unreviewed first-use date or origin story.
“Go against the grain” describes something that conflicts with a person’s usual nature, wishes, feelings, or what seems normal to them. The guide publishes this present meaning and avoids unsupported claims about an exact inventor or first use.
“Go with the Flow” means to do or accept what other people are doing or agreeing with because that is the easiest course. This guide publishes the current dictionary-supported idiomatic meaning and keeps exact origin, inventor, coinage, and absolute first-use claims unpublished without chronology-grade evidence.
A “breath of fresh air” describes someone or something that feels new and different and makes a situation more exciting. The guide stays with current documented meaning rather than unsupported origin chronology.
