Synonyms of usual

usual 1 of 2

adjective

ˈyü-zhə-wəl 

1

as in conventional

accepted, used, or practiced by most people

that's not the usual method, but it works

Synonyms & Similar Words

• conventional
• customary
• current
• prevailing
• standard
• popular
• prevalent
• normal
• going
• average
• ordinary
• stock
• regular
• common
• routine
• widespread
• everyday
• ubiquitous
• universal
• accustomed
• fashionable
• in
• wonted
• epidemic
• stylish
• modish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unusual
• extraordinary
• abnormal
• unconventional
• uncommon
• exceptional
• unpopular
• nonstandard

2

as in normal

being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events

the characters in this novel are drawn with greater depth than is usual for a work of science fiction

Synonyms & Similar Words

• normal
• ordinary
• typical
• average
• routine
• standard
• common
• customary
• commonplace
• regular
• everyday
• prosaic
• unremarkable
• familiar
• expected
• standard-issue
• run-of-the-mill
• garden-variety
• cut-and-dried
• unexceptional
• workaday
• plain
• homely
• par for the course
• predictable
• popular
• frequent
• trivial
• vulgar
• habitual
• natural
• unimportant
• unextraordinary
• plain-Jane
• insignificant
• wonted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unusual
• extraordinary
• strange
• odd
• abnormal
• exceptional
• peculiar
• curious
• funny
• atypical
• rare
• quaint
• out-of-the-way
• anomalous
• irregular
• queer
• aberrant
• scarce
• fantastic
• bizarre
• wild
• outrageous
• phenomenal
• weird
• outstanding
• eccentric
• untypical
• unconventional
• idiosyncratic
• prominent
• notable
• unorthodox
• striking
• conspicuous
• unique
• unprecedented
• wacky
• salient
• novel
• singular
• outré
• signal
• oddball
• recherché
• offbeat
• way-out
• unparalleled
• kooky
• freakish
• far-out
• Kafkaesque
• nonconformist
• freak
• unexampled

3

as in ubiquitous

often observed or encountered

the usual reaction to the sight of the falls is one of absolute awe

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ubiquitous
• familiar
• common
• ordinary
• commonplace
• frequent
• household
• general
• routine
• normal
• everyday
• quotidian
• standard
• prevailing
• garden-variety
• regular
• common or garden
• popular
• constant
• mandatory
• continuous
• a dime a dozen
• obligatory
• incessant
• prevalent
• continual
• universal
• recurrent
• unceasing
• perennial
• ceaseless
• rampant
• repeated
• endemic
• de rigueur

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unusual
• extraordinary
• seldom
• rare
• uncommon
• unfamiliar
• infrequent
• abnormal
• occasional
• unnatural
• irregular
• sporadic
• intermittent
• aberrant

usual

2 of 2

noun

as in ordinary

Related Words

• ordinary
• rule
• status quo
• commonplace
• normal
• median
• run
• average
• golden mean
• middle
• mean
• representative
• standard
• norm
• exemplar
• par

Dissimilar Words

• exception
• deviation
• anomaly
• abnormality
• rarity

Synonym Chooser

How is the word usual distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of usual are accustomed, customary, habitual, and wonted. While all these words mean "familiar through frequent or regular repetition," usual stresses the absence of strangeness or unexpectedness.

my usual order for lunch

How is accustomed related to other words for usual?

Accustomed is less emphatic than wonted or habitual in suggesting fixed habit or invariable custom.

accepted the compliment with her accustomed modesty

In what contexts can customary take the place of usual?

The words customary and usual are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, customary applies to what accords with the practices, conventions, or usages of an individual or community.

the customary waiting period before the application is approved

When could habitual be used to replace usual?

Although the words habitual and usual have much in common, habitual suggests a practice settled or established by much repetition.

a habitual morning routine

When is wonted a more appropriate choice than usual?

The words wonted and usual can be used in similar contexts, but wonted stresses habituation but usually applies to what is favored, sought, or purposefully cultivated.

his wonted determination

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of usual

Adjective

The 1859 Carrington Event, the strongest geomagnetic storm on record, disrupted telegraph systems around the world and pushed auroras from their usual high-latitude skies near the Arctic and Antarctic to locations as far south as the tropics. — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 17 July 2026

My Pocket stands out for the way guilt and survivor’s remorse fester in the margins more than usual. — Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 17 July 2026

Noun

On the first floor, in the back corner of the hotel, there also was a small cafe, a fashion-week usual for the house. — Allyson Portee, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2024

Someone’s pouring your usual, sending you to sleep with a bustling soundtrack, or simply offering a comforting anchor in a sprawling, occasionally overwhelming metropolis. — Maggie Hennessy, Chicago Tribune, 26 Oct. 2022