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

And that, paired with proper daily hygiene habits, means the future for contact lens wearers may look clearer and brighter than ever. — Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026 Your bathroom habits carry more intel than most wellness accounts admit, and gastroenterologists increasingly treat what lands in the toilet as a daily readout of digestion, diet and disease risk. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026 The daily habits behind the data- sleep, movement, real food- are available to anyone, regardless of what's in their bank account. — Eman Bare, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The youngest adult generation tends to have good investing habits — starting earlier and diversifying their assets at higher rates than older generations. — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for habit

Recent Examples of Synonyms for habit

Noun

This goes beyond just topical products to include massage tools, wellness rituals and detoxifying treatments.

— Bella Webb, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
Shankara advises that worshipping gods with names and stories through devotional rituals and sacred images (murtis) is an acceptable step for some people on the path toward a more philosophical understanding of an all-pervasive ultimate reality.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of ritual

Noun

The company also gave $2 million to the National Council for Problem Gambling to combat unhealthy trading and addiction.

— Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Meta agrees to a $17-billion settlement with 47 states, ending a landmark teen social media addiction trial.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of addiction

Noun

Feelings for the character, who dressed like a luchador and stretched the limits of superherodom’s already outrageous spectrum of physiques, ranged from curiosity to open and outright disdain.

— Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
As my physique changed, so did my relationship with getting dressed.

— Lindy Segal, Glamour, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of physique

Noun

Other secret variants included simplified, unsharpened ones to be dropped to resistance fighters that would hide their origin, as well as special small versions or ones with rings in the handle so they could be sewn into clothing or boots.

— David Szondy August 30, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
Few people want to invest in pricier clothing, bespoke interior design services, or luxury furnishings without ever talking with a live person.

— John Hall, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of clothing

Verb

The resulting low-slung structure is clad in understated materials, with a sloping bronze-colored roof, stone chimney, expansive glazing, and teak siding.

— David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026
The Petite Pelican is based on a double-axle trailer and is clad in white board-and-batten siding, with a metal roof.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of clothe

Noun

Though none of the players who were cut seriously threatened for spots, a few should return to the practice squad.

— Andrew Destin, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Though interest in peptides is popular in certain wellness circles, including with podcasters like Joe Rogan, many of those who are seeking alternative medicine or who are going back to traditional cultural practices don’t fit the MAHA archetype.

— Cara Kelly, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of practice

Noun

Researchers spent decades trying to target a group of mutations called RAS — responsible for nearly a third of all human cancers — but the protein’s flat shape defied typical drugs.

— Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026
And the collectors are looking for independent thinking, independent viewpoints, different designs, different shapes, different ideas.

— Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of shape

Noun

All the guests at Bozoma Saint-John Watson's wedding to Keely Watson were asked to wear authentic Kente cloth attire.

— Rebecca Suhrawardi, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
The image of him, his attire a blasphemous betrayal of the wholesome fun a clown costume promises, and with vibrant, colorful balloons in his hand, lingers in our minds for a long time.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of attire

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“Habit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/habit. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of habit

noun

verb

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