a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up, a long piece of clothing worn by monks and nuns

old habits die hard, fall into a habit, a creature of habit

get into the habit of, kick the habit, make a habit of

Formal and Informal Expressions of habit

In different contexts, you can replace 'habit' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'practice, custom' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'routine, thing' is a commonplace synonym.

habit: Explore its Definition & Usage

habit Definition

1a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up
2a long piece of clothing worn by monks and nuns

Using habit: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "habit" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
Smoking is a bad habit.
Example
She has a habit of biting her nails when she's nervous.
Example
It takes 21 days to break a habit.
Example
Wearing a habit is a sign of religious devotion.

habit Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for habit

Antonyms for habit

Idioms Using habit

old habits die hard
it is difficult to change long-standing habits or behaviors
Example
Even though he knew it was bad for him, he couldn't stop smoking. Old habits die hard.
fall into a habit
to develop a habit without intending to
Example
I fell into the habit of staying up late and watching TV.
a creature of habit
someone who likes to do the same things at the same time every day
Example
He's a creature of habit and always eats the same breakfast every morning.

Phrases with habit

get into the habit of
to start doing something regularly
Example
I need to get into the habit of exercising every day.
kick the habit
to stop doing something that is a bad habit
Example
He finally kicked the habit and stopped smoking.
make a habit of
to do something regularly or often
Example
She makes a habit of arriving early to meetings.

Origins of habit

from Old French 'habit', meaning 'clothing'

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Summary: habit in Brief

The term 'habit' [ˈhæbɪt] refers to a regular tendency or practice that is difficult to give up. It can be good or bad, such as 'Smoking is a bad habit.' 'Habit' also refers to the long piece of clothing worn by monks and nuns. Phrases like 'get into the habit of' and 'kick the habit' are commonly used. Idioms like 'old habits die hard' and 'a creature of habit' denote the difficulty of changing established behaviors.