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

After confirming the choice was due to superstition, the president explained his other habits. — Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 17 July 2026 Allen adds that healthy aging depends on more than physical habits. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026 Two major studies, one published in 2023 and another in 2025, quantify the payoff in years of life expectancy and offer a road map for the habits that matter most. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026 Different ants have different nesting habits and food preferences, meaning that a treatment effective against one species may fail against another. — The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for habit

Recent Examples of Synonyms for habit

Noun

This is the Gion Matsuri festival, born more than 1,000 years ago as a ritual to ward off epidemics and celebrated in the former imperial city of Kyoto throughout July.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
Use music intentionally for transitions, gatherings and shared rituals.

— Bija Bennett, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of ritual

Noun

The liver-transplant reports renewed speculation about addiction because the most common reason people suffer serious liver dysfunction and need a new liver is cirrhosis, according to the American Liver Foundation.

— Martha Ross, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
Bartee and Williams never got to have a heart-to-heart with him about his struggle with addiction, and Manigan died in 2022 at the age of 55.

— Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 17 July 2026

Definition of addiction

Noun

Hirschkorn put himself on the scouting map thanks to his 6-foot-7, 205-pound physique with plenty of room to fill out, adding potential to improve his already impressive arsenal.

— Jesús Cano, New York Times, 17 July 2026
For the role, O’Connor had to develop his racket skills and a more muscular physique, splitting time between the tennis court and the gym.

— Nick Tabor, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 July 2026

Definition of physique

Noun

On the clothing rack hung a navy winter coat, a black interview suit, one white dress shirt, and a Burberry scarf that Isul’s aunt had sent last Christmas.

— Min Jin Lee, New Yorker, 19 July 2026
In the summer months, the Marché du Cap Ferret is open daily, with wine stands and produce vendors inside the covered hall (Chez Cocotte is a must-visit) and stalls outside sporting jewelry and clothing.

— Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 19 July 2026

Definition of clothing

Verb

At product launches, company events, and trade shows, Huang is nearly always clad in his trademark black Tom Ford leather jacket.

— Kif Leswing, CNBC, 17 July 2026
For Mary Kay, the latter of these rationales seems to have been clothed in the guise of the former, though the precise catalyst for establishing her own outfit remains indeterminate.

— Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 15 July 2026

Definition of clothe

Noun

The investigation is part of a broader crackdown on what’s known as birth tourism, the practice of traveling to another country, so a child is born there.

— Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 July 2026
He was paired with a more experienced colleague and learned through instruction and hands-on practice how to care for pines and azaleas, mainly using a hand-pruning technique essential for the Imperial Palace and villas.

— Hiroshige Yazawa Japan News, Arkansas Online, 19 July 2026

Definition of practice

Noun

What differentiates Ammortal from the glut of wellness and optimization products on the market, according to its charismatic and observably in-shape founder, is the promise of a more all-encompassing experience of physical and mental restoration.

— Jake Nevins, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
The compatibility between their shapes allows lactase to break lactose apart into its simple sugar components, which are more easily managed by the digestive system.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 15 July 2026

Definition of shape

Noun

The next night at the Time 100 Sports gala, Hughes returned to the red carpet in a more traditional suit but explained the reason for his attire at the ESPYs.

— Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 17 July 2026
Aside from the clutch, Nyong’o accessorized her New York City premiere attire with gold metallic heels by Aldo and jewelry pieces courtesy of Sabyasachi, further accentuating the gold color scheme of her attire.

— Julia Teti, Footwear News, 15 July 2026

Definition of attire

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Style

“Habit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/habit. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of habit

noun

verb

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