habituation
/həˌbɪtʃuˈeɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /həˌbɪtʃuˈeɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /hə-ˌbi-chə-ˈwā-shən ha-, -chü-ˈā-/ (ame, mw)
habituation — noun
1. the gradual process by which a person or animal stops reacting strongly to somet
the gradual process by which a person or animal stops reacting strongly to something, because they have met it again and again until it feels normal — for example, no longer flinching at loud traffic after moving into a city apartment.
Baraka noticed that habituation to the cold morning swims took about three weeks.
habituation to [noun] — pattern for naming what one gets used to
After six months on the dairy farm, Owen reached full habituation to the early start.
habituation to [activity] — common workplace context
Through gentle habituation, the rescue dog learned to ignore the sound of the doorbell.
Habituation to the smell of paint took the new gallery staff only a few days.
The study measured habituation in young rats placed near a softly buzzing speaker.
- acclimatisation
more common in everyday English; often used for climate or environment
- adaptation
broader; covers any kind of adjustment, not only sensory or behavioural
- desensitisation
narrower; often medical or therapeutic, used for reducing strong reactions
- sensitisation
the opposite process — reacting more strongly with repeated exposure
文法句型
habituation to [noun]
用法筆記
Uncountable; takes singular agreement. Frequently followed by 'to' plus a noun naming the stimulus. Distinguish from sense 2 by the absence of any drug or substance — sense 1 is about everyday adjustment.
常見錯誤
2. a state in which the body or mind has come to need a drug or other habit-forming
a state in which the body or mind has come to need a drug or other habit-forming substance after long use, so that the user feels reliant on it but is not necessarily physically addicted in the medical sense.
The clinic warned Talia that habituation to sleeping pills can develop within a few weeks.
habituation to [drug] — common medical pattern
Doctors now describe coffee dependence as a mild habituation rather than a true addiction.
habituation contrasted with addiction
Long-term nasal-spray use led to habituation, leaving Vikram unable to breathe without one.
Élise's habituation to her anxiety medication made stopping it suddenly very difficult.
- dependence
more common; covers both physical and psychological reliance
- tolerance
specifically the reduced effect of a drug after repeated use
文法句型
habituation to [drug/substance]
用法筆記
Uncountable; chiefly clinical or pharmacological writing. Distinguish from sense 1 by the focus on drugs or habit-forming substances rather than ordinary stimuli. In modern medical usage often replaced by 'tolerance' or 'dependence'.