Meaning & use
a habit
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Meanings
nouncountable
Something you do regularly, often without thinking about it.
Grammar: Countable: a habit, two habits. Common patterns are 'have a habit of doing something' and 'get into the habit of doing something'.
Patterns
- have a habit of doing something
- get into the habit of doing something
- a habit of something
She has a habit of checking her phone first thing in the morning.
It's hard to break the habit of biting your nails once it starts.
He got into the habit of walking to work instead of driving.
nouncountablemedical
A strong need to do something often, especially something harmful such as taking drugs.
Grammar: Often used with 'drug' or 'drinking': a drug habit. This sense is stronger and more medical than sense 1.
Patterns
- a drug habit
- feed a habit
- develop a habit
He spent years trying to overcome a drug habit.
The clinic helps people who want to break a serious habit.
Her coffee habit costs her a lot of money each month.
Word forms
| plural | habits |
|---|
Common combinations
- break a habit
- It took him months to break the habit of smoking after meals.
- form a habit
- Children form habits early, so routines matter.
- a bad habit
- Leaving the lights on is a bad habit.
- out of habit
- I still turn left at that corner out of habit.
- a habit of doing something
- She has a habit of arriving ten minutes early.
Synonyms and how they differ
- custom
- A custom is a traditional way of behaving in a society or group; a habit is personal and automatic.
- routine
- A routine is a fixed set of actions you follow; a habit is a single repeated action, often done unconsciously.
- tendency
- A tendency is a slight inclination to behave in a certain way; a habit is stronger and more regular.
- addiction
- An addiction is a medical dependency; a habit can be mild and easy to stop.
Word family
- habitual adjective
- Done regularly or as a habit.
- habitually adverb
- In a regular or habitual way.
- habituate verb
- To make someone or yourself used to something.
Commonly confused: a habit or custom? a habit or hobby?
a habit vs custom
A custom belongs to a group or culture (a wedding custom), while a habit belongs to one person (a habit of humming).
a habit vs hobby
A hobby is an activity you enjoy in your free time; a habit is something you do automatically, good or bad.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'habit' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The correct pattern is 'a habit of doing something'. Option 0 uses 'to check' after 'habit', which is wrong. Option 2 uses 'for checking', and option 3 omits 'of' and the -ing form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a habit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.