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

The idea of friction-maxxing can be incorporated across various daily routines and lifestyle habits, as well as our own homes. — Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 July 2026 This has impacted every aspect of his life — sleep, eating habits and his controlling attitude toward me. — Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 4 July 2026 High gas prices during the Iran war never really changed Americans’ driving habits. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 July 2026 Rice and okra grew well and were plentiful in the South, where French and African influences also shaped eating habits. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for habit

Recent Examples of Synonyms for habit

Noun

That the ritual continues Saturday after Saturday, year after year, is its own kind of small miracle.

— Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Supporters argue that the gatherings represent a form of devotion untethered from rigid rituals and the gatekeeping normally associated with temples or religious processions.

— Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 4 July 2026

Definition of ritual

Noun

Cherokee leaders frame the project as an existential response to surging opioid deaths in rural communities, aiming to protect language and future generations from addiction’s toll.

— Sarah Liese, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
The movie serves both as a farewell to the franchise, and a reminder of how years of addiction, feuds and legal battles pushed Margera — who had second-billing for the first three films — to the sidelines.

— Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2026

Definition of addiction

Noun

Some of the other presidents’ physical activities prompted some reflection on his own physique.

— Michelle L. Price, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
They’ve been specially designed in sizes that acknowledge that the world includes people with different physiques, but where their faces would be, there’s a mirror.

— Jed Perl, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026

Definition of physique

Noun

Surveillance cameras captured a person dressed in dark clothing on a nearby roof overlooking the courtyard less than ten minutes before the killing, prosecutors said in charging documents.

— Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
The same goes for discovering petite-friendly clothing brands with styles that not only fit, but also flatter shorter frames.

— Destinee Scott, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2026

Definition of clothing

Noun

In March, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned on X that oil refiners and corporations engaged in price-fixing would be held accountable, vowing to deploy all lawful measures against unethical business practices.

— Jenny Lee, CNBC, 6 July 2026
Even with this practice, there should be an effort, if possible, to avoid training or competition during the hottest times of day.

— Nicole Williams, AJC.com, 6 July 2026

Definition of practice

Noun

In what was billed as a bullpen game, Barnes handled the final seven innings, leaving the varsity bullpen in fine shape for the Padres series.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Norway sat off during the second half, holding their 4-5-1 shape, and the Ivory Coast equaliser came about from a system switch and double sub.

— Liam Tharme, New York Times, 1 July 2026

Definition of shape

Noun

But this year, according to a dress code reviewed by The Athletic, women have been told that strapless, off-the-shoulder and spaghetti-strap attire is not permitted, with illustrations of appropriate and inappropriate wear for both men and women.

— Nick Miller, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Shop More Loft Sales Talbots is the destination for elegant travel outfits and office-ready attire.

— Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026

Definition of attire

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“Habit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/habit. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of habit

noun

verb

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