habit

[ˈhæbɪt]

habit Definition

• 1. a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up
• 2. a 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

• custom
• routine
• pattern
• tradition
• way

Antonyms for habit

• aversion
• disinclination
• unfamiliarity

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.