habit
/ˈhæbɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhæbɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈha-bət/ (ame, mw)
habit — noun
1. A regular action or way of behaving that a person repeats so often it becomes au
A regular action or way of behaving that a person repeats so often it becomes automatic and may be done without thinking.
Ryo developed a habit of jogging every morning before breakfast.
habit of + gerund for frequent personal routines
Out of habit, Trang checked her phone the moment she opened her eyes.
out of habit — adverb phrase for automatic behaviour
Walid's habit of arriving ten minutes early made him a reliable team member.
Putri meditated for ten minutes each evening, and within weeks it became an effortless habit.
Ife read the paper with her morning coffee, and the habit stayed even after retirement.
文法句型
habit of + doing something
possessive + habit
out of habit
by habit
用法筆記
Commonly used with a possessive or the structure 'habit of + gerund' to describe a person's particular routine. 'Out of habit' and 'by habit' function as adverb phrases indicating automatic action without conscious choice.
2. A repeated action or behaviour that another person finds irritating, unpleasant,
A repeated action or behaviour that another person finds irritating, unpleasant, or rude.
Elena's brother has an annoying habit of leaving empty milk cartons in the fridge.
annoying habit of + gerund for unwanted behaviour
Ilan could not stand his colleague's habit of clicking a pen loudly during meetings.
Kofi's habit of interrupting people mid-sentence cost him a few friendships at work.
The children's habit of hiding the TV remote frustrated their parents every day.
- annoying mannerism
specifically a small, repeated physical gesture rather than a general behaviour pattern
- nuisance
the behaviour itself rather than the pattern; less focused on repetition
文法句型
annoying habit of + gerund
possessive + habit
用法筆記
The adjective describing the habit (annoying, irritating, nasty, frustrating) usually comes before 'habit'. This sense is nearly always singular and tied to a specific person's repeated action.
3. A strong physical or psychological dependence on a substance such as a drug, alc
A strong physical or psychological dependence on a substance such as a drug, alcohol, or cigarettes, that forces a person to take more of it on a regular basis.
The doctor warned Cyrus that his smoking habit could lead to serious lung problems.
substance + habit: smoking / drinking / drug habit
Naoko's painkiller habit grew so severe that her family urged her to see a doctor.
substance + habit: painkiller habit — addiction-sense
After years of daily drinking, Andrés admitted he needed help with his alcohol habit.
The clinic offers counselling to people who want to break their drug habit safely.
- addiction
stronger and more clinical; implies compulsion and physical dependence more directly
- dependence
more formal and medical; can be physical or psychological
- abstinence
the state of refraining completely from a substance
文法句型
smoking / drinking / drug habit
noun + habit
用法筆記
Often appears in medical and public health contexts. 'Habit' in this sense is softer than 'addiction' but covers the same compulsive substance use. The modifier (smoking, drinking, drug) is nearly always present to clarify which substance.
4. A long-established routine or behaviour pattern that a person decides to stop or
A long-established routine or behaviour pattern that a person decides to stop or overcome, especially one that is unwanted or unhealthy.
After ten years of biting his nails, Christopher decided to break the habit for good.
break the habit for good — permanently stopping
Élise stayed up past midnight for so long that kicking the habit was very hard.
kick the habit — informal phrasal verb
The therapist helped Selim find what caused his snacking so he could stop the habit.
Stefan scrolled through social media for hours, but breaking the habit proved harder than expected.
- compulsion
stronger internal urge; less about routine and more about psychological pressure
- vice
a morally negative habit; narrower and more judgmental
文法句型
break / kick / stop the habit
the habit of + gerund
用法筆記
Almost always appears in expressions like 'break the habit', 'kick the habit', or 'stop the habit'. The habit in this sense is the target of a deliberate effort to quit. Frequently used in humorous or lightly critical contexts.
5. A long, loose robe that serves as the traditional garment of people living in a
A long, loose robe that serves as the traditional garment of people living in a religious community, such as a monastery.
The Buddhist monk's simple brown habit was made of rough cotton cloth.
colour + habit: describes the distinctive robe
Ryo watched as the nuns walked past in their long white habits and black veils.
In the painting, Saint Francis wears a coarse grey habit tied with a rope belt.
The young novice felt proud as she put on her habit for the first time.
用法筆記
Distinct from general 'clothing' — a habit is specifically the religious garment of monastic orders. The colour and material often indicate the specific order (e.g. brown for Franciscans, black for Benedictines, white for Dominicans).
6. A specific type of clothing or outfit designed for horseback riding, especially
A specific type of clothing or outfit designed for horseback riding, especially a traditional woman's formal riding costume consisting of a long skirt or close-fitting trousers, a jacket, boots, and a hat.
At the horse show, each rider wore a neatly pressed black habit with polished boots.
colour + habit — describes riding attire
Naoko's grandmother kept a traditional riding habit in the wardrobe, complete with a long skirt.
The museum displayed a nineteenth-century woman's riding habit made of dark green velvet.
Adaeze adjusted her riding habit before mounting the horse, smoothing the skirt over the saddle.
- riding wear
modern term for any clothing worn for horseback riding; broader in scope
- equestrian attire
formal term covering modern and traditional riding clothes
用法筆記
Historically referred to a woman's formal riding outfit. In modern equestrian contexts, the term has largely been replaced by 'riding wear' or 'equestrian attire', though 'habit' survives in traditional or historical descriptions.
habit — verb
1. To dress someone in the distinctive clothing of a religious order, typically as
To dress someone in the distinctive clothing of a religious order, typically as part of a formal ceremony marking their entry into monastic life.
The new monks were habited by the abbot during a quiet chapel ceremony.
passive: were habited by + agent in formal ceremony
After a year of training, Talia was habited as a novice sister in the convent.
passive: was habited as + role
After their trial period, the young men were habited as full members of the order.
In the old portrait, a kneeling novice is being habited by the bishop.
文法句型
be habited in + clothing
habit + person
用法筆記
Extremely rare in modern English, confined to historical or religious texts. The passive form ('was habited') is more common than the active. Most modern writers would use 'dressed in a habit' instead.