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

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

Many of the changes have been driven by increasing costs, shifts in buying habits and tastes, and global uncertainty. —

News Desk, Artforum, 4 June 2026 Prospect Park Police Chief Dave Madonna said officers spent the past year educating drivers about the law, but many motorists still haven't changed their habits. —

Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 4 June 2026 More and more people are prioritizing health and wellness while seeking to signal such values (and their accompanying habits) to the outside world as a form of social currency. —

Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 4 June 2026 Reducing calories and practicing healthier eating habits are key to overcoming obesity. —

Natassia Paloma, USA Today, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for habit

Recent Examples of Synonyms for habit

Noun

The Midwestern supper club ritual hasn’t changed, bringing guests together for long, unhurried evenings of dining and entertaining.

— Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
The wave is one of a number of rituals that have become synonymous with Mexico’s footballing culture and will likely form a big part of the experience for the tens of thousands of overseas visitors expected to attend the 13 matches being played in Mexico.

— Michael Rios, CNN Money, 7 June 2026

Definition of ritual

Articles Related to habit

Cite this Entry

Style

“Habit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/habit. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of habit

noun

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

'Snotter', 'Groak', and 6 More Words...

Odd Habits and Quirks

A Nun's 'Habit' & A Mini-Skirt

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on habit

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

foible

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

5 Verbal Slip Ups and Language Mistakes

Regarding the Incorrect Use of 'Decimate'

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Popular in Wordplay

What to Call the Inept, Incompetent, and Inferior

Strange Words for Body Functions

Where does 'curiosity killed the cat' come from?

Cattywampus, Taradiddle, and More Funny-Sounding Words

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

Popular

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

What to Call the Inept, Incompetent, and Inferior

Strange Words for Body Functions

Games & Quizzes