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Habit

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habit /ˈhæbɪt/ (n):

# [countable] a thing that you do often and almost without thinking, especially something that is hard to stop doing.

You need to change your eating habits.

good/bad habits

Most of us have some undesirable habits.

habit of doing something The strategy is helping children develop the habit of reading for fun.

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 trying to break the habit of staying up too late.

These things have a habit of coming back to haunt you.

in the habit of doing something 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.

# [uncountable] usual behaviour.

out of habit I only do it out of habit.

I'm a creature of habit (= I have a fixed and regular way of doing things).

# [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

force of habit (idiom):

# if you do something from or out of force of habit, you do it without thinking about it and in a particular way because you have always done it that way in the past.

It's force of habit that gets me out of bed at 6.15 each morning.

habit-forming /ˈhæbɪt fɔːmɪŋ/ (adj):

# a habit-forming activity or drug is one that makes you want to continue doing it or taking it.

I think we have probably stimulated drug-taking, in the sense of the habit-forming drug-taking, because of this over-prescribing.

habitual /həˈbɪtʃuəl/ (adj):

# [only before noun] usual for or typical of somebody/something.

They waited for his habitual response.

(formal) a person’s place of habitual residence

She sat sipping her habitual cup of tea.

# (of an action) done, often in a way that is annoying or difficult to stop.

habitual complaining

the habitual use of heroin

# [only before noun] (of a person) doing something that has become a habit and is therefore difficult to stop.

a habitual criminal/ drinker/ liar

habitually /həˈbɪtʃuəli/ (adv):

# in a way that is usual for or typical of somebody/ something.

the dark glasses he habitually wore.

# in a way that is annoying or difficult to stop, often because it has become a habit.

We are in an era where politicians habitually lie about everything.

habituated /həˈbɪtʃueɪtɪd/ (adj):

# (formal) habituated (to something): familiar with something because you have done it or experienced it often.

SYNONYM accustomed;

We have all become habituated to thinking and reacting in certain ways.

habituation /həˌbɪtʃuˈeɪʃn/ (n):

# [uncountable] (formal) habituation (of somebody/something) (to something) the action or condition of becoming used to something.

the habituation of animals to a new environment

habitué /hæˈbɪtʃueɪ/ (n):

# (from French, formal) a person who goes regularly to a particular place or event.

SYNONYM regular;

a(n) habitué of upmarket clubs (designed for or used by people who belong to a high social class or have a lot of money).

regular /ˈreɡjələ(r)/ (n):

# a customer who often goes to a particular shop, pub, restaurant, etc.

He's one of our regulars.

(as) regular as clockwork (idiom):

# very regularly; happening at the same time in the same way.

He is home by six every day, regular as clockwork.

go/ run like clockwork (idiom):

# to happen according to plan; to happen without difficulties or problems.

The operation went like clockwork.

intuitive /ɪnˈtjuːɪtɪv/ (adj):

# (of ideas) obtained by using your feelings rather than by considering the facts.

He had an intuitive sense of what the reader wanted.