HABIT Synonyms: 187 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'habit' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of habit are custom , practice , usage , and wont . While all these words mean "a way of acting fixed through repetition," habit implies a doing unconsciously and often compulsively. // had a habit of tapping his fingers

Q: When is it sensible to use 'custom' instead of 'habit'?

Although the words custom and habit have much in common, custom applies to a practice or usage so steadily associated with an individual or group as to have almost the force of unwritten law. // the custom of wearing black at funerals

Q: In what contexts can 'practice' take the place of 'habit'?

In some situations, the words practice and habit are roughly equivalent. However, practice suggests an act or method followed with regularity and usually through choice. // our practice is to honor all major credit cards

Q: When could 'usage' be used to replace 'habit'?

While the synonyms usage and habit are close in meaning, usage suggests a customary action so generally followed that it has become a social norm. // western-style dress is now common usage in international business

Q: When can 'wont' be used instead of 'habit'?

The synonyms wont and habit are sometimes interchangeable, but wont usually applies to a habitual manner, method, or practice of an individual or group. // as was her wont , she slept until noon

habit 1 of 2

noun

ˈha-bət

Definition of habit

as in ritual

a usual manner of behaving or doing it was his habit to rise early

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in addiction

a physiological need for certain drugs a cocaine habit of long standing

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in physique

the type of body that a person has an imposing man of vigorous habit

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in clothes

archaic covering for the human body dressed in the habit of a knight from the golden age of chivalry

Synonyms & Similar Words

habit

2 of 2

verb

as in to clothe

to outfit with clothes and especially fine or special clothes his exclusive clothing store had habited the town's upper crust for as long as anyone could remember

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun habit differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of habit are custom, practice, usage, and wont. While all these words mean "a way of acting fixed through repetition," habit implies a doing unconsciously and often compulsively.

had a habit of tapping his fingers

When is it sensible to use custom instead of habit?

Although the words custom and habit have much in common, custom applies to a practice or usage so steadily associated with an individual or group as to have almost the force of unwritten law.

the custom of wearing black at funerals

In what contexts can practice take the place of habit?

In some situations, the words practice and habit are roughly equivalent. However, practice suggests an act or method followed with regularity and usually through choice.

our practice is to honor all major credit cards

When could usage be used to replace habit?

While the synonyms usage and habit are close in meaning, usage suggests a customary action so generally followed that it has become a social norm.

western-style dress is now common usage in international business

When can wont be used instead of habit?

The synonyms wont and habit are sometimes interchangeable, but wont usually applies to a habitual manner, method, or practice of an individual or group.

as was her wont, she slept until noon

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of habit

Noun

In line with Parton’s original goal, the Imagination Library may do the most to change reading habits in lower-income homes – where children’s books tend to be scarce. — Alex H. Poole, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026 The organizations that deploy AI successfully share three habits. — Olufunsho Peters, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Here’s how to make that long game work in your favor—and how to recognize and quit all of the habits that might be undermining your skin along the way. — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 2 Oct. 2026 Interior designers and professional organizers say most kitchens hide usable square footage in plain sight, trapped behind clutter, bad habits and bulky gear that could be stored smarter or edited out entirely. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for habit

Recent Examples of Synonyms for habit

Noun

My daughter was enchanted by the Balinese rice-on-the-forehead ritual for good fortune that is a part of the arrival, and the front desk staff happily indulged her request to do it again—multiple times a day.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
Launching Thursday exclusively at Bloomingdale’s, the collaboration sees Altuzarra bring its design sensibility beyond the wardrobe and into the beauty ritual, pairing NuFace’s Mini+ in Sandy Rose with a NuFace x Altuzarra bag, priced at $379.

— Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of ritual

Noun

In a case this spring, a jury in California found Meta and YouTube liable in a social media addiction case.

— Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
But when a traumatic encounter sends Tonya spiraling back into addiction—and back into the dangerous orbit of her drug-dealing ex-husband, Ronny (Alexander)—her fragile progress begins to unravel.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of addiction

Noun

An actor known for his macho presence and muscular physique, Sylvester Stallone does not fit the stereotype of a person with an eating disorder.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
Gavin Francis From its origins in the classical physique and homoerotic spectacle, bodybuilding today often involves the use of steroids whose dangers are not properly understood.

— Conor Heffernan, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of physique

Noun

Primark said 39 percent of its clothing units sold in its most recent financial year contained recycled fibers, up from 32 percent in the prior year.

— Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
Amazon is always chock-full of deals on seasonal clothing, multifunctional cleaning tools, and buzzy beauty products, but Prime members can unlock even more savings.

— Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of clothing

Verb

For Thacker, surfaces are repositories of memory and emotion; in the bathrooms, the walls have been entirely clad in tiles inspired by her son’s childhood drawings.

— Amir Capogrossi Badreddine, Architectural Digest, 2 Oct. 2026
The 37-year-old, clad in a white tank top, loose gray sweatpants and white gym socks, looks back on the years that went into building the home to her liking.

— Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of clothe

Noun

The measure would end the twice-yearly practice of changing clocks observed across most of the nation since the 1960s.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Their bye week consisted of wild-card watch parties, batting practice, live pitching — from a long list of arms on Wednesday, especially — and an open workout Thursday that culminated in a scrimmage.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of practice

Noun

While moving, the cord returns to its original shape, ready to power its next leap so long as the infrared light is still shining.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2026
The look was elevated by Le Silla’s recognizable stiletto heel shape which flares ever so slightly.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of shape

Noun

Other suiting staples for Cameron’s attire included an angular collar with a white tie and a seemingly semi-sheer blouse to boot.

— Julia Teti, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026
Some of the sightings claim a man wearing clothing typical of the 17th or 18th centuries, a man dressed in Confederate attire in the liquor room, a ghost of a former worker Joseph Hardesty and a female who actively disturbs visitors to her home.

— Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of attire

Articles Related to habit

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“Habit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/habit. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of habit

noun

verb

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