When you're hooked on something, you're so interested or involved that you can't stop thinking about it or doing it. A book that hooks you from the first page makes you want to keep reading late into the night. A new hobby might get you hooked so completely that you practice it every spare moment.

The word comes from fishing: when a fish bites the bait and gets caught on the hook, it can't easily escape. Similarly, when something hooks your attention, it captures and holds it. You might get hooked on a video game, a TV series, or solving math puzzles. A story with a good hook grabs readers right away with an exciting opening.

Being hooked isn't always about entertainment. Scientists get hooked on research questions they're trying to solve. Musicians get hooked on mastering difficult pieces. The word suggests strong interest that pulls you back again and again.

Sometimes people use hooked to describe harmful addictions. But the word can also describe positive interests, like getting hooked on reading, learning guitar, or building things.