something that you do often and regularly, sometimes without knowing that you are doing it
His eating habits are extraordinary.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
habit
noun
something that you do very often:
Smoking is a bad habit.
She's got a habit of phoning me when I'm in bed.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
habit
hab‧it S3 W3 /ˈhæbət, ˈhæbɪt/ BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: noun: ↑habit, ↑habitué; verb: ↑habituate; adverb: ↑habitually; adjective: ↑habitual]
[Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin habitus 'condition, character', from habere 'to have']
1. USUAL/REGULAR [uncountable and countable] something that you do regularly or usually, often without thinking about it because you have done it so many times before:
Regular exercise is a good habit.
Thinking negatively can become a habit.
She has a habit of playing with her hair when she’s nervous.
Some people drink alcohol as much from habit as from desire.
by/from/out of habit (=because this is what you usually do in this situation)
I did it out of habit.
2. DRUGS [countable] a strong physical need to keep taking a drug regularly:
A lot of drug addicts get into petty crime to support their habit.
heroin/cocaine etc habit
His cocaine habit ruined him physically and financially.
3. not make a habit of (doing) something spoken used to say that someone does not usually do something bad or wrong, or should not do it again:
You’re ten minutes late. I hope you’re not going to make a habit of this.
4. I’m not in the habit of doing something spoken used when you are annoyed, to say that you would not do something:
I’m not in the habit of lying to my friends.
5. have a habit of doing something if something has a habit of doing something, it usually or often does it – used humorously:
Life has a habit of springing surprises.
6. old habits die hard used to say that it is difficult to make people change their attitudes or behaviour:
She knew it probably wasn’t necessary any more, but old habits die hard.
7. habit of thought/mind the way someone usually thinks about something, or their usual attitudes
8. CLOTHING [countable] a long loose piece of clothing worn by people in some religious groups:
a nun’s habit
⇨ a creature of habit at ↑creature(3)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have a habit (of doing something) He has a habit of being late.
▪ something becomes a habit Once you you have been driving for a few weeks, it becomes a habit.
▪ get into a habit (=start doing something regularly or often) Try to get into the habit of walking for 30 minutes each day.
▪ get out of a habit (=stop doing something regularly or often) She couldn’t get out of the habit of saying 'sorry'.
▪ break/kick a habit (=stop doing something that is bad for you) I’ve smoked for years, but I really want to kick the habit.
▪ develop/form a habit I developed a habit of eating porridge for breakfast.
▪ change your habits It's sometimes difficult for people to change their habits.
■ adjectives
▪ a good/bad habit Eating healthy food as snacks is a good habit to get into.
▪ eating/drinking habits (=the kinds of things you eat or drink regularly) You need to change your eating habits.
▪ buying/spending habits (=the kinds of things you buy regularly) The recession will mean that many people will be changing their spending habits.
▪ viewing habits (=the kinds of television shows you regularly watch) Parents try to control their children’s viewing habits.
▪ sexual habits (=what you normally do in sexual relationships) a survey of the sexual habits of gay men
▪ personal habits (=the things you normally do each day, for example keeping yourself clean or whether you smoke) Some of his personal habits were unpleasant.
▪ social habits (=the things people normally do when they are with other people) Television changed some of our social habits.
▪ an annoying/unpleasant/nasty habit He had the unpleasant habit of eating with his mouth open.
▪ a strange/peculiar/odd habit He had a lot of peculiar habits, one of them being to stare at you without blinking.
■ phrases
▪ be in the habit of doing something On Friday evenings Carrie was in the habit of visiting her parents.
▪ (by/from) force of habit (=used about a habit that is difficult to change) I still walk by his house each day - force of habit, I suppose.
▪ change/break the habits of a lifetime (=stop doing the things you have done for many years) It is hard to change the habits of a lifetime, but you must eat more healthily or you will have a heart attack.
▪ have the unfortunate habit of doing something (=do something that makes other people feel embarrassed or offended) Teenage girls have the unfortunate habit of laughing too loudly.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ habit something you do regularly, often without thinking about it: Biting your nails is a bad habit. | I always go to the same supermarket, out of habit.
▪ mannerism a way of speaking or a small movement of your face or body that is part of your usual behaviour: Even her mannerisms are the same as her sister’s.
▪ custom something that people in a particular society do because it is traditional or the accepted thing to do: In Japan it is the custom to take off your shoes when you enter a house.
▪ tradition a belief, custom, or way of doing something that has existed for a long time: The tradition of giving Easter eggs goes back hundreds of years. | In many countries, it’s a tradition for the bride to wear white. | It was a family tradition to go for a walk on Christmas Day.
▪ practice something that people often do, especially as part of their work or daily life: The hotel has ended the practice of leaving chocolates in guests’ rooms.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
habit
habit [habit habits] [ˈhæbɪt] [ˈhæbɪt] noun
1. countable a thing that you do often and almost without thinking, especially sth that is hard to stop doing
• You need to change your eating habits.
• good/bad habits
• He has the irritating habit of biting his nails.
• It's all right to borrow money occasionally, but don't let it become a habit.
• I'd prefer you not to make a habit of it.
• I'm not in the habit of letting strangers into my apartment.
• I've got into the habit of turning on the TV as soon as I get home.
• I'm trying to break the habit of staying up too late.
• These things have a habit of coming back to haunt you.
2. uncountable usual behaviour
• I only do it out of habit.
• I'm a creature of habit (= I have a fixed and regular way of doing things).
3. countable (informal) a strong need to keep using drugs, alcohol or cigarettes regularly
• He began to finance his habit through burglary.
• She's tried to give up smoking but just can't kick the habit.
• a 50-a-day habit
4. countable a long piece of clothing worn by a monk or nun
see force of habit at force n.
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French abit, habit, from Latin habitus ‘condition, appearance’, from habere ‘have, consist of’. The term originally meant ‘dress, attire’, later coming to denote physical or mental constitution.
Thesaurus:
habit noun C, U
• I got into the habit of calling my aunt every night.
practice • • ways • • ritual • • rule • |formal policy •
be sb's habit/practice/policy to do sth
the/sb's usual habit/practice/ritual/policy
change your habit/practice/policy/ways
Example Bank:
• Don't let eating between meals become a habit.
• Ellington's work habits were a marvel to all.
• Even last year the nation's eating habits changed significantly.
• He had an irritating habit of singing tunelessly about the house.
• He turned to crime to support his habit.
• Healthy lifestyle habits begin when you're young.
• Horses are creatures of habit and like to have a daily routine.
• I found some of his personal habits rather disconcerting.
• I got out of the habit of getting up early.
• I had fallen into my old bad habit of leaving everything until the last minute.
• I had got out of the habit of going to the pub.
• I just did it from habit.
• I sat in my old seat purely out of habit.
• I'm trying to kick the smoking habit.
• It was a nervous habit she'd had for years.
• It's hard to change the habit of a lifetime.
• Life has a nasty habit of repeating itself.
• Make a habit of noting down any telephone messages.
• Mental habits are not easily changed.
• Mr Norris bellowed from force of habit.
• Mr Norris woke up early from force of habit.
• Much of what we do in daily life is done by habit.
• She had been in the habit of drinking five or six cups of coffee a day.
• She has some very annoying habits.
• The children are developing unhealthy eating habits.
• The pills affected your sleeping habits.
• Try to get into good habits and eat regular healthy meals.
• You must break yourself of the habit.
• a difficult habit to break
• an effort to change the buying habits of the British public
• deeply ingrained habits of thought
• her charming habit of setting fire to cats
• one of his more endearing habits
• poor eating habits
• women's television viewing habits
• I do it out of habit.
• I got into the habit of going there every night for dinner.
• I'd prefer you not to make a habit of calling late at night.
• I'm not in the habit of letting strangers into my apartment.
• It's all right to borrow money occasionally, but don't let it become a habit.
• The majority of smokers want to give up the habit.
• Try to break the habit of of adding salt at the table.
• When it comes to clothes, men are creatures of habit.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
habit / ˈhæb.ɪt / noun (REPEATED ACTION)
B1 [ C or U ] something that you do often and regularly, sometimes without knowing that you are doing it:
I always buy the same brand of toothpaste just out of (= because of) habit.
I'm trying not to get into (= start) the habit of always having biscuits with my coffee.
I used to swim twice a week, but I seem to have got out of (= ended) the habit recently.
I was taught to drive by my boyfriend and I'm afraid I've picked up (= caught) some of his bad habits.
His eating habits are extraordinary.
I'm trying to get him to break (= end intentionally) the habit of switching on the TV when he comes home at night.
I don't mind being woken up once or twice in the middle of the night by my flatmate so long as she doesn't make a habit of it (= do it frequently) .
I'm not really in the habit of looking at (= I don't usually look at) other people's clothes, but even I noticed that awful suit!
B2 [ C ] something annoying that someone often does:
She has a habit of finishing off other people's sentences.
B2 [ C ] a strong physical need to keep having a particular drug:
a cocaine habit
figurative humorous I'm afraid I've got a chocolate habit.
Word partners for habit
have a habit • get into / get out of the habit of doing sth • have / make a habit of doing sth • sth becomes a habit • acquire / develop / pick up a habit • break / kick a habit • an annoying / bad / good / nasty habit • be in the habit of doing sth • do sth from / out of / through habit
habit / ˈhæb.ɪt / noun [ C ] (CLOTHING)
a special piece of long clothing worn by monks and nuns
Word partners for habit
have a habit • get into / get out of the habit of doing sth • have / make a habit of doing sth • sth becomes a habit • acquire / develop / pick up a habit • break / kick a habit • an annoying / bad / good / nasty habit • be in the habit of doing sth • do sth from / out of / through habit
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
habit
[hæ̱bɪt]
♦♦♦
habits
1) N-VAR: oft N of -ing A habit is something that you do often or regularly.
He has an endearing habit of licking his lips when he's nervous...
Many people add salt to their food out of habit, without even tasting it first.
...a survey on eating habits in the UK.
2) N-COUNT: oft N of -ing A habit is an action which is considered bad that someone does repeatedly and finds it difficult to stop doing.
A good way to break the habit of eating too quickly is to put your knife and fork down after each mouthful...
After twenty years as a chain smoker Mr Nathe has given up the habit.
3) N-COUNT: supp N A drug habit is an addiction to a drug such as heroin or cocaine.
She became a prostitute in order to pay for her cocaine habit.
4) N-COUNT A habit is a piece of clothing shaped like a long loose dress, which a nun or monk wears.
5) PHRASE: creature inflects, usu v-link PHR If you say that someone is a creature of habit, you mean that they usually do the same thing at the same time each day, rather than doing new and different things.
6) PHRASE: v-link PHR -ing If you are in the habit of doing something, you do it regularly or often. If you get into the habit of doing something, you begin to do it regularly or often.
They were in the habit of giving two or three dinner parties a month...
I got into the habit of calling in on Gloria on my way home from work.
7) PHRASE: V inflects, PHR -ing/n If you make a habit of doing something, you do it regularly or often.
You can phone me at work as long as you don't make a habit of it.
8) PHRASE: habit inflects If someone has a particular habit of mind, they usually think in that particular way.
In accent, mannerism and habit of mind he appeared to be completely Eastern European.
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
habit
hab·it /ˈhæbət/ noun, pl -its
1 : a usual way of behaving : something that a person does often in a regular and repeated way
[count]
• It was his habit to take a nap after dinner every evening.
• It's important that parents teach their children good study/eating habits.
• He fell/got into some bad habits after graduating from college.
• It's never easy to break/kick a bad habit.
• Old habits die hard. [=it is hard to stop doing things that you have been doing for a long time]
- often followed by of + -ing verb
• He had a habit of coughing when he was nervous.
• He has an annoying/irritating habit of cracking his knuckles.
• Things have a nasty habit of not turning out the way you expect them to. [=things often do not turn out the way you expect them to]
[noncount]
• He still gets up early every day from habit.
• She always closed the door softly out of habit.
• He reached into his pocket for his keys by/from force of habit. [=he did it without thinking because it is what he usually does]
• I'm a creature of habit. [=I always do the same things in the same way]
✦If you are in the habit of doing something, you do it often or usually.
• I'm in the habit of reading before I go to bed.
✦If you say that you are not in the habit of doing something, you mean that you do not do it or that you do not usually do it.
• I'm not in the habit of getting involved in other people's arguments.
• I'm not in the habit of making predictions, but I don't think there's much doubt about who will win this election.
✦To get in/into the habit of doing something means to do something in a regular or repeated way so that it becomes a habit.
• I had gotten into the habit of reading before going to bed.
• She got in the habit of leaving her keys on the counter so she wouldn't forget them.
✦To fall/slip into the habit of doing something is to begin to do something in a regular way without realizing that you are doing it.
• It's easy to fall into the habit of not eating enough for breakfast.
✦If you make a habit of doing something or make it a habit to do something, you do it often.
• They have made a habit of criticizing each other whenever possible.
• The team has made a habit of winning the crucial games.
• Yes, you can leave work early today, but don't make a habit of it.
2 [count] : a strong need to use a drug, to smoke cigarettes, etc.
• He hasn't been able to kick his cocaine habit.
• I used to have a three-pack-a-day cigarette habit. [=I used to smoke three packs of cigarettes a day]
3 [count] : a piece of clothing worn by members of a religious group
• a monk's/nun's habit