Háur

Háður is an Icelandic adjective meaning dependent or addicted. It describes someone who relies on something to function or who is habitually influenced by it. The term is commonly used in everyday language as well as in medical, social, and academic contexts to express varying degrees of reliance, from ordinary habit to problematic dependence.

In typical usage, háður modifies the thing one is dependent on, often using the dative case for that object. Examples include háður tóbaki (addicted to tobacco), háður áfengi (addicted to alcohol), or háður öðrum (dependent on others). The word can appear predicatively, as in “hann er háður,” or attributively, as in “háður tóbaki.” It carries a stronger connotation than more neutral terms such as “dependent” and is frequently associated with substance use in informal and formal discussions.

Háður can describe dependence on tangible items, habits, or people, and its nuance depends on context and tone. While it is a descriptive term, in clinical or policy discussions it is often used carefully to avoid stigmatizing individuals. The adjective agrees with the noun it modifies in gender and number, following standard Icelandic adjective inflection. The related noun and other forms are used in related phrases, but háður itself primarily conveys the sense of being under the influence or control of something beyond one’s own independent control.