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 next

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

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as in clothes

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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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

With nearly 100 million connected televisions now in the Indian market, Ram said the focus has shifted toward increasing engagement and building viewing habits across multiple screens. —

Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 18 June 2026 In Japan, Prime Video’s second-largest APAC market, also marking a decade on the platform, country manager Keisuke Oishi recalled having to build a subscription-streaming habit almost from scratch in 2015, in a market still anchored to free-to-air television. —

Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2026 The Macallan’s social media insights paint a unique picture of younger generations’ content consumption habits. —

Chris Perugini, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 But experts still say good sleep habits can support overall cardiovascular health. —

Zoe Cunniffe, Health, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for habit

Recent Examples of Synonyms for habit

Noun

After a few minutes of ritual, a group of three men shed their long black robes to reveal flowing gowns and began their sema, or ceremony, a ritual that has been recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

— Susan B. Barnes, Travel + Leisure, 20 June 2026
That might include customer commitments the team can protect, decisions managers can make without escalation, experiments the team can run over the next 30 days, learning priorities for an AI transition, escalation rules for customer or employee risk, and team rituals that keep work coherent.

— Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

Definition of ritual

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“Habit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/habit. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.

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Synonyms of habit

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verb

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