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

Frequent checking throughout the day is the clearest signal that tracking has tipped into an obsession, shifting focus away from intuitive health habits and overall wellbeing. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026 Andrews handed out more than 100 dental care kits filled with toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss to help children build healthy habits and brighter smiles. — Leondra Head, CBS News, 31 July 2026 In her childhood, owner Aqui Simpson Hines’s once-a-week Prince’s Hot Chicken habit bordered on obsession. — Ellen Fort, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 July 2026 While not every type of hair loss can be prevented, healthy lifestyle habits may also reduce the risk. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for habit

Recent Examples of Synonyms for habit

Noun

Kraft Heinz is attempting to do that by moving its brands closer to experiences people already care deeply about, including sports, entertainment, family rituals and shared meals.

— Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Seabrook’s primary focus was on Vodou aka voodoo rituals, which had long constituted an underground religious practice amongst populations outwardly accepting of Catholicism.

— Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 July 2026

Definition of ritual

Noun

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the Superior Court of Delaware, claims that the teens suffered years of harm from using the platforms, including social media addiction, severe sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.

— Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Oscar de la Renta, Vogue’s Anna Wintour, Kate Moss and OTB’s Renzo Rosso were among the industry figures who assisted him in his personal recovery from multiple addictions, and a gradual professional rehabilitation.

— Miles Socha, Footwear News, 31 July 2026

Definition of addiction

Noun

Hilaria Baldwin showed off her svelte physique in a skimpy bikini while sharing workout tips with her fans on Instagram.

— Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 27 July 2026
Damon’s physical transformation was indeed one of the most important preliminary aspects of The Odyssey, since Nolan wanted an Odysseus with a lean but defined physique.

— Anna Zucca, Vanity Fair, 23 July 2026

Definition of physique

Noun

With local vendors selling everything from clothing, thrift and vintage pieces, beauty products, candles, jewelry, fragrances and more, this Indie Market promotes a rotating list of merchants.

— Lesly Gregory, AJC.com, 3 Aug. 2026
That’s why Figgins suggests wearing a slim, flat money belt underneath your clothing.

— Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of clothing

Verb

The clip veers between a high school football, an artsy compound in the desert, and the interior of a trailer, where Slayyyter is clad in a Las Vegas showgirl ensemble.

— Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026
The building’s exterior is an unconventional assemblage of ten sculptural cones clad in stainless steel mesh, onyx, and glass, rising up to 280 feet into the sky.

— News Desk, Artforum, 29 July 2026

Definition of clothe

Noun

His smiley story of slapping a $5 bill on Jalen Carter’s chest after the defensive tackle’s contract extension contributes to a preseason energy that feels a lot like when Hurts and Nick Sirianni rode out of practice together on a golf cart in 2024.

— Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
There were certain days during camp — Family Day and the team's Friday Night Lights practice at nearby Greater Latrobe High School — when Heyward knew the intensity level would spike.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of practice

Noun

An unforeseen opportunity Loftin entered spring training in great shape.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
The Hudson Satchel from Quince is nearly identical to Lawrence’s—right down to the shape of the side buckles—but priced at under $200—which is far less expensive than the star’s likely designer style.

— Kaitlin Gates, Travel + Leisure, 29 July 2026

Definition of shape

Noun

His fluctuating weight, ruddy cheeks and occasionally ill-fitting attire — commenters on social media rarely needed an excuse to zero in on him.

— Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
Tuipulotu, who was a full participant in minicamp, did individual work off to the side during Wednesday’s practice and was in general workout attire rather than in a helmet, jersey and football pants like his teammates.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026

Definition of attire

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“Habit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/habit. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of habit

noun

verb

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