habit 1 of 2

1
2
as in addiction
a physiological need for certain drugs a cocaine habit of long standing

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in physique
the type of body that a person has an imposing man of vigorous habit

Synonyms & Similar Words

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habit

2 of 2

verb

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
The catcher sought help over the winter to correct some bad habits in his swing, something just about every player does at some point. Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 30 June 2025 Low-growing evergreens such as spreading yews, which are pruned more naturally with an open habit, and evergreen trees, such as crabapples, and shrubs, such as viburnums, can also provide shelter and food. Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2025 Presidents made a habit of acting unilaterally — that is, without congressional approval — in places from the Korean peninsula to Libya. Andreas Kluth, Mercury News, 28 June 2025 No title yet revealed, but the pod will launch mid-July, the duo engage in heartfelt and unfiltered conversations about everyday life such as discuss raising a family, cultivating gardens, home improvements, careers, fostering healthy habits and aging. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for habit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for habit
Noun
  • Jumping off the bridge into the water is a summer ritual for thrill seekers of all ages, despite the warning signs that are posted nearby.
    Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 27 June 2025
  • The church’s ritual of confirmation, which marks the passage from adolescence into adulthood, also acquired legal status.
    Thomas A. DuBois, The Conversation, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Not the years battling post-traumatic stress disorder or addiction.
    Juliana Kim, NPR, 24 June 2025
  • In Twin Peaks, Deputy Chief Hawk and Sheriff Frank Truman—filling in for ailing brother Frank—work on following a lead phoned in by an ailing Log Lady, while Richard Horne, son of Audrey Horne and Cooper’s evil double, spiraling into depravity and addiction, kills a child in a hit-and-run.
    Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • Everyone wants to write a book, grow their business, or transform their physique.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • Johnson, who gained fame for his muscular physique and controversial raw meat diet, was charged with making terroristic threats, a Class B misdemeanor.
    Doc Louallen, ABC News, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • The two sections of the building are constructed of a spruce framework clad in smooth oak panels, while the central gate is made from traditional 6-inch pine logs.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 June 2025
  • Chants reverberated among the soccer-centric crowd mostly clad in red and white.
    Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2025
Noun
  • All three teams will also be investing more money through building practice facilities and other such amenities.
    CBS News, CBS News, 30 June 2025
  • Topics to be covered include commodity conservation practices, adding a rotation (winter wheat), diversifying and building market channels for diversified crops.
    Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • On Instagram, Protect the Mütter declared victory and posted an image of two skeletal hands, their bony fingers pressed together to make a heart shape.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
  • My curls stayed especially bouncy and held their shape all day, even while running around in humid weather.
    Malia Griggs, Glamour, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • The children were last seen wearing traditional FLDS clothing, ABC4 reported.
    Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
  • The advisory suggested limiting strenuous activity from early morning to evening, wearing lightweight and loose-fitting clothing and staying out of the sun.
    Emma Moon, Charlotte Observer, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Use it to dress salads with extra virgin olive oil, or on cooked or raw vegetables.
    Veronica Cristino, Vogue, 26 June 2025
  • The siblings grew up in the lap of luxury, dressed in the finest silks, with doting courtiers catering to their every whim.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 26 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Habit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/habit. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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