Synonyms of habit

habit 1 of 2

noun

ˈha-bət 

1

as in ritual

a usual manner of behaving or doing

it was his habit to rise early

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ritual
• practice
• trick
• way
• tendency
• custom
• pattern
• routine
• addiction
• fashion
• second nature
• inclination
• wont
• habitude
• style
• mode
• proclivity
• turn
• use
• trait
• manners
• usage
• disposition
• characteristic
• rut
• convention
• bent
• groove
• regime
• regimen
• bag
• set
• tenor
• deportment
• form
• rote
• affectation
• attribute
• peculiarity
• quirk
• drill
• mores
• pose
• tic
• eccentricity
• airs
• singularity
• oddity
• kink
• jog trot
• mark

2

as in addiction

a physiological need for certain drugs

a cocaine habit of long standing

Synonyms & Similar Words

• addiction
• dependence
• monkey
• tolerance
• alcoholism
• habituation
• jones
• morphinism
• heroinism

3

as in physique

the type of body that a person has

an imposing man of vigorous habit

Synonyms & Similar Words

• physique
• shape
• form
• frame
• figure
• constitution
• build
• structure
• anatomy

4

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

• clothes
• clothing
• attire
• dress
• wear
• garments
• apparel
• weeds
• livery
• gear
• garb
• rags
• threads
• costume
• toggery
• vesture
• rigging
• clobber
• vestments
• raiment
• costumery
• habiliment(s)
• vestiary
• wardrobe
• rig
• duds
• togs
• wearables
• guise
• outfit
• underwear
• tailoring
• finery
• ensemble
• couture
• trim
• bravery
• trumpery
• tawdry
• frock
• regalia
• gaudery
• glad rags
• gaiety
• pretties
• caparison
• tatters
• garderobe
• frippery
• underclothes
• foofaraw
• getup
• sportswear
• array
• civvies
• outerwear
• mufti
• nightclothes
• loungewear
• sleepwear
• activewear
• ready-to-wear
• haberdashery
• smallclothes
• menswear
• playwear
• prêt-à-porter

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

• clothe
• dress
• toilet
• attire
• costume
• deck (out)
• garment
• rig (out)
• gown
• apparel
• garb
• suit
• array
• wrap
• get up
• robe
• dress up
• drape
• uniform
• tog (up or out)
• invest
• vesture
• bedeck
• jacket
• caparison
• enrobe
• cloak
• furnish
• outfit
• huddle
• frock
• mantle
• swaddle
• tailor
• vest
• equip
• swathe
• hap
• do up
• dress down
• enswathe
• habilitate
• accoutre
• bedight
• underdress

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strip
• disarray
• undress
• disrobe
• untruss
• uncover
• unclothe
• divest
• denude
• unveil
• undrape

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

Recent Examples of habit

Noun

The Dodgers' spending habits have opened up plenty of conversation about competitive balance and a potential salary cap. —Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025

In fact, Thanksgiving, along with Christmas and New Year’s Day, all see an uptick in those dangerous driving habits, but the fourth Thursday of November, when so many families travel long distances to gather together over turkey, stuffing or maybe mac and cheese, sees the most worrisome surge. —Eric D. Lawrence, Freep.com, 8 Nov. 2025

The trade war also eliminated hundreds of jobs tied to cross-border wine commerce and contributed to a boom in Canadian wine sales, reshaping consumer habits and retail offerings in the country. —Dave Gordon, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025

Use tools that show a full picture of your spending and habits. —Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 7 Nov. 2025