From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcompulsivecom‧pul‧sive /kəmˈpʌlsɪv/ adjective 1 MPCONTROLcompulsive behaviour is very difficult to stop or control, and is often a result of or a sign of a mental problem → obsessivecompulsive gambling/overeating/spending etc Compulsive overspending in these days of credit cards has become more common.2 → compulsive overeater/gambler/spender/liar etc3 INTERESTINGa book, programme etc that is compulsive is so interesting that you cannot stop reading or watching itcompulsive reading/viewing ‘Gardening World’ is compulsive viewing for gardeners. —compulsively adverb —compulsiveness noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
compulsive• You tend to be compulsive about your job and wind up defeating yourself.• Compulsive behaviour is often a symptom of deeper psychological problems.• A tradition that was based only on communication could not lead to the compulsive character that attaches to religious phenomena.• The perfectionist, as we saw, tries to do things perfectly because of his or her compulsive desire to avoid showing anger.• Overcoming Overeating may be a powerful way for some women to break a long habit of compulsive eating.• compulsive hand-washing• He's a compulsive liar -- you can't believe a word he says.• Her problem is compulsive over-eating.• The eating disorders include compulsive overeating and severe anorexia, both being found in some patients.• But the book makes for compulsive reading.• Compulsive shoppers often never even open the goods they buy.• Presently the man-apes began to move forward, like sleepwalkers, toward the source of that compulsive sound.• Compulsive spending is often a symptom of deep unhappiness.compulsive gambling/overeating/spending etc• The eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia and compulsive overeating.• The eating disorders include compulsive overeating and severe anorexia, both being found in some patients.• The physical consequences of compulsive overeating, anorexia and bulimia can be severe and even fatal.• The consequences of compulsive gambling are comparable to those of any other addictive disease and are not simply those of financial loss.• The appropriate Anonymous Fellowships for anorexia, bulimia and compulsive overeating exist to help the primary spiritual recovery.• The distress caused by compulsive gambling is very considerable.• Many judges have allowed abuse defenses but reject compulsive gambling syndrome.• Are bulimia and compulsive overeating the opposite of anorexia?compulsive reading/viewing• But the book makes for compulsive reading.• The confessions, recriminations and bubbling bile of this long night's drinking into dawn make for increasingly compulsive viewing.• The dialogue itself makes compulsive reading and there are many musical quotations and ideas to pursue.• Such a romantic scenario, such an agonising scene to witness and yet it was compulsive viewing for Ruth.• It took Ron and myself two days to view it, and compulsive viewing most of it was.• In particular he remembers the very smart set of poetry classics, and noted his friend's compulsive reading of them. 