habithab‧it /ˈhæbɪt/ ●●● S3 W3 noun 
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/out of/from habit (=because this is what you usually do in this situation) I did it out of habit.2drugs [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.3not 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.4I’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.5have 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.6old 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 anymore, but old habits die hard.7habit of thought/mind the way someone usually thinks about something, or their usual attitudes8clothing [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)COLLOCATIONSverbshave a habit (of doing something)· He has a habit of being late.something becomes a habit· Once 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.adjectivesa 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 menpersonal 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.phrasesbe 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.THESAURUShabit 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.
WORD ORIGINhabit
Origin:
1100-1200 Old French, Latin habitus ‘condition, character’, from habere ‘to have’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Don't start smoking - it's a very bad habit.
- He had got into the habit of phoning home during the day.
- He has a really annoying habit of leaving his clothes all over the floor.
- healthy eating habits
- His cocaine habit was ruining his life.
- I'm not in the habit of going to bars during the day.
- If you have one or two drinks each day, it soon becomes a habit.
- Many of them get into petty crime to support their habit.
- My father had some rather strange habits, like reading the newspaper in the bath.
- Patterns of behaviour develop gradually until they become unconscious habits.
- People need to change their eating habits and include more fruit and vegetables in their diet.
- Peter had some pretty odd habits.
- She was in the habit of taking a walk in the early evening.
- Some smokers use chewing gum containing nicotine to help them kick the habit.
- You ought to get into the habit of planning your work at the beginning of each week.
- And yet they lacked the most rudimentary academic habits.
- But human beings have raised this habit to an art.
- Ever since I was a teenager, I have had the bad habit of pulling and twisting my hair.
- In recent years, more than 11 million smokers in Britain have kicked the habit.
- Septimus is trained out of his bad habits in the end, and everyone sleeps happily ever after.
- The habit of moving around in large groups is much commoner in fish than in other kinds of animals.
- The game is filled with creatures of habit and superstition.
- Today, smoking is really a disruptive habit.
THESAURUS
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Longman Language Activatorsomething that you do very often without thinking something that you do very often and without thinking about it, because you have done it so many times before: · Peter had some pretty odd habits.· Patterns of behaviour develop gradually until they become unconscious habits.bad habit: · Don't start smoking - it's a very bad habit.have a habit of doing something: · He has a really annoying habit of leaving his clothes all over the floor.become a habit: · If you have one or two drinks each day, it soon becomes a habit.be/get into the habit of doing something: · You ought to get into the habit of planning your work at the beginning of each week.eating/dating/viewing etc habits: · People need to change their eating habits and include more fruit and vegetables in their diet.
a way of speaking, or a small movement of your face or body, that is part of your usual behaviour, and that other people think is strange or funny: · All the kids imitated Mr Pearce's mannerisms.· Before you go to an interview, ask yourself whether you have any irritating mannerisms such as saying 'you know' all the time.
someone's ways are their habits and their usual behaviour - use this especially when you think someone's usual behaviour is slightly strange: · Rosy had a warm easy-going personality, so she was good at tolerating other people's ways and opinions.· It was a small rural community, and its people felt deeply suspicious of foreigners and their strange ways.
when someone does something because it is a habit if you do something from habit , you do it just because it is your habit to do it, not because you have deliberately decided to do it: · Some people drink alcohol from habit, as much as from desire.· Out of habit he continued to get up at six o'clock, even after he'd retired.
if you do something from force of habit , you do it because you had often done the same thing in the past and not for any other reason: · "Why did you call her 'Miss'? She's `Mrs' now, you know." "Sorry, force of habit."by/from/through/out of force of habit: · Most women apply the same old make-up year after year through force of habit.
a compulsive activity or way of behaving is one that someone cannot stop himself or herself doing repeatedly, especially because they have a mental problem: · Her problem is compulsive over-eating.· compulsive hand-washingcompulsive liar/eater/gambler etc: · Compulsive shoppers often never even open the goods they buy.
the need to have a drug etc regularly: drug addiction · Drug addiction is now the biggest social problem in American cities.addiction to · Eventually she managed to overcome her addiction to alcohol.
an addiction to an illegal drug or to tobacco: drug/cocaine/heroin etc habit: · His cocaine habit was ruining his life.kick the habit (=give up the habit): · Some smokers use chewing gum containing nicotine to help them kick the habit.
addiction to alcohol or drugs, especially legal drugs that a doctor gives you, so that you feel you cannot continue to live without them: dependence on: · Dependence on alcohol can have a serious effect on your relationships and career.drug/alcohol dependence: · The clinic treats people affected by drug dependence.
ways of saying what someone or something often does to often do a particular thing, and be likely to do it: · Dave tends to arrive late, so don't worry yet.· The problem with this model of car is that the gearbox tends to seize up.· My father tends to interfere too much in other people's business.· Recent studies show that girls tend to be better at languages than boys.
to often do something and be more likely to do it than other people or things are: · Divorced people have a tendency to live with new partners rather than marry again.· It's poor quality cloth, with a tendency to shrink.· Eliott's family has a tendency to put on weight, and so his parents enrolled him in a special gym for kids.
if someone is inclined to do something, they do it fairly often or are fairly likely to do it, especially because they have a particular type of character: · Victor is inclined to be somewhat domineering.· Middle-class victims of crime are more inclined to contact the police.
use this when you are warning someone that something has happened before and is likely to happen again: · Be careful not to annoy the boss. He has a habit of losing his temper.· We shouldn't rule out a Democrat victory yet. These things have a habit of changing just when you least expect it.
formal to often do something or be likely to do something, especially at a particular time or in a particular situation: · He was apt to get very upset when things went wrong.· The pond was apt to dry up during summer.
to start doing something regularly to start doing something that you then do regularly. Begin is more formal than start and is used especially in written English: start/begin doing something: · I started going to the gym two years ago.· She was only 16 when she began seeing Alan.start/begin to do something: · His parents got divorced last year - that's when he started to take drugs.
to become interested in a sport or activity, and start to spend time doing it: · When did Bryan take up golf?· Your pictures are so good - you could take up painting as a profession.
to start doing something dangerous or illegal: · Hal turned to drinking after his wife and kids were killed in a car crash.· Research shows that young people without jobs are most likely to turn to crime.
to start doing something frequently, especially something that is annoying or worrying : · There's a big ginger cat that's taken to coming in our house at night.· My daughter took to spending hours alone in her room, only coming downstairs for meals.
to start to do something so often that it becomes a habit: · I only used to have one or two cigarettes, but then I got into the habit of it.get into the habit of of doing something: · Try to get into the habit of planning your work at the beginning of the day.
to stop a bad or unhealthy habit · She had smoked for nearly twenty years before she finally managed to stop.stop doing something · The health advice to people is simple - stop eating so much fat and eat more fruit and vegetables.
informal to stop doing something that that has been an unhealthy or harmful habit: · If you've smoked for a long time it can be very difficult to quit.quit doing something: · They told me at the hospital to quit drinking for a while.· I quit taking the pills because they were making me put on weight.
to stop doing something such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking drugs because it is harmful or unhealthy: · If you smoke, try to give up or at least cut down.· She gave up drinking over 10 years ago.
informal to stop doing something that has been a habit for a long time, especially a bad or dangerous habit: · The centre provides help for addicts who have kicked their habit and want to stay away from drugs.· Some smokers use hypnosis to help them kick the habit.
to stop taking medicine or drugs that you have been taking regularly: · The doctor told me I could come off the drugs six months after the operation.· People need help to come off hard drugs like heroin and cocaine.
if a child grows out of a habit, he or she stops doing it as they get older: grow out of it: · Wetting the bed is a common problem, but children nearly always grow out of it.· He became obsessed with football at the age of four, and he's never grown out of it!
what people usually do something that you do regularly without thinking about it, because you have done it so many times before: · My father had some rather strange habits, like reading the newspaper in the bath.be in the habit of doing something: · She was in the habit of taking a walk in the early evening.not be in the habit of doing something: · I'm not in the habit of going to bars during the day.get into the habit of doing something: · He had got into the habit of phoning home during the day.
a series of things that someone usually does in the same order, especially when it is the same every day: · His routine consisted of work, dinner, then TV and bed.· Most babies soon develop a daily routine of eating and sleeping.· She does not like having her work routine interrupted.
the way that something is usually done in a particular situation or within a particular organization: · Checking police records of new staff is standard practice these days.it is standard practice (for somebody) to do something: · In the 1930s, it was standard practice for workers to have seven days' holiday a year.· It's standard practice for the architects and builders to haggle over costs.
WORD SETSaccessory, nounalter, verbappliqué, nounarmband, nounarmhole, nounbag, nounbejewelled, adjectivebillfold, nounboater, nounbow, nounbowler, nounbow tie, nounbraid, nounbraid, verbbreast-pocket, nounbrim, nounbum bag, nounbust, nounbutton, nounbutton-down, adjectivebuttonhole, nouncape, nounchecked, adjectivecivvies, nounclasp, nouncleat, nounclingy, adjectiveclothes brush, nounclothes hanger, nounclutch bag, nouncoat check, nouncoat hanger, nouncoatroom, nouncobbler, nouncockade, nouncocktail dress, nouncodpiece, nouncollar, nouncollar stud, nouncolour-coordinated, adjectivecolourfast, adjectivecorsage, nouncostume, nouncoveralls, nouncravat, nouncrinkly, adjectivecut, noundark glasses, noundarn, verbdarn, noundart, noundécolletage, noundetailing, noundiadem, noundiaphanous, adjectivedishevelled, adjectivedowdy, adjectivedown-at-heel, adjectivedress, noundress, verbdressed, adjectivedressmaker, noundress sense, noundressy, adjectiveepaulette, nounfacing, nounfancy dress, nounfinery, nounfleecy, adjectivefop, noungarb, noungather, verbgingham, noungold-rimmed, adjectivegranny, adjectivegroom, verbhabit, nounhandbag, nounherringbone, nounknit, verbknitwear, nounline, verblined, adjectiveliner, nounlingerie, nounlining, nounlivery, nounlocker room, nounmade-to-measure, adjectivemade-to-order, adjectivemakeover, nounmodel, nounmodel, verbmodelling, nounmohair, nounname tag, nounnatty, adjectiveneckline, nounout, adverbpack, nounparasol, nounpinstripe, nounplaid, nounpleat, nounpleated, adjectiveplume, nounplumed, adjectiveplunging neckline, nounpocket, nounpocketbook, nounpocket handkerchief, nounpolka dot, nounpompom, nounpopper, nounpouch, nounpower dressing, nounpress, verbproof, verbpurse, nounraffish, adjectiveragged, adjectiverail, nounretro, adjectivesalon, nounsensible, adjectivesequin, nounset, verbshoeshine, nounshoulder bag, nounshoulder pad, nounshoulder strap, nounsingle-breasted, adjectivesize, nounsleeve, nounsleeveless, adjectivesling, nounsmocking, nounsoigné, adjectivespangle, nounsportswear, nounstarch, verbstitch, nounstud, nounstudded, adjectivetack, verbtail, nountailor, nountailored, adjectivetailoring, nountapered, adjectivetartan, nountatters, nounthread, nounthread, verbtie-dye, verbtie-pin, nountoe, nountoecap, nountoggle, nountongue, nountoupée, nountrainer, nountrimmings, nountrouser press, nounturn-up, nountweedy, adjectiveunbecoming, adjectiveundress, noununmentionables, nounvalet, nounwallet, nounwear, verbwearer, nounweatherproof, adjectivewell-dressed, adjectivewell-groomed, adjectivewristband, nounzip, nounzipper, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs He had fallen into the habit of having a coffee every time he passed the coffee machine. She has an irritating habit of interrupting. Drivers often have a nasty habit of driving too close to cyclists. Life has a nasty habit of repeating itself. He has an unfortunate habit of repeating himself.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
· He has a habit of being late.
· Once you have been driving for a few weeks, it becomes a habit.
(=start doing something regularly or often)· Try to get into the habit of walking for 30 minutes each day.
(=stop doing something regularly or often)· She couldn’t get out of the habit of saying 'sorry'.
(=stop doing something that is bad for you)· I’ve smoked for years, but I really want to kick the habit.
· I developed a habit of eating porridge for breakfast.
· It's sometimes difficult for people to change their habits.
adjectives· Eating healthy food as snacks is a good habit to get into.
(=the kinds of things you eat or drink regularly)· You need to change your eating habits.
(=the kinds of things you buy regularly)· The recession will mean that many people will be changing their spending habits.
(=the kinds of television shows you regularly watch)· Parents try to control their children’s viewing habits.
(=what you normally do in sexual relationships)· a survey of the sexual habits of gay men
(=the things you normally do each day, for example keeping yourself clean or whether you smoke)· Some of his personal habits were unpleasant.
(=the things people normally do when they are with other people)· Television changed some of our social habits.
· He had the unpleasant habit of eating with his mouth open.
· He had a lot of peculiar habits, one of them being to stare at you without blinking.
phrases· On Friday evenings, Carrie was in the habit of visiting her parents.
(=used about a habit that is difficult to change)· I still walk by his house each day - force of habit, I suppose.
(=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.
(=do something that makes other people feel embarrassed or offended)· Teenage girls have the unfortunate habit of laughing too loudly.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES (=the kinds of things they eat or drink regularly)· The doctor asked me about my eating habits and how much I smoked.
He had fallen into the habit of having a coffee every time he passed the coffee machine. She has an irritating habit of interrupting. Drivers often have a nasty habit of driving too close to cyclists. Life has a nasty habit of repeating itself. He has an unfortunate habit of repeating himself.· Ever since I was a teenager, I have had the bad habit of pulling and twisting my hair.· Many of these bad habits are started in infancy when parents rock and sing their babies to sleep.· A person may develop bad habits that need correction.· Most likely, only one or two bad habits permeate your writing.· If you don't watch out, you can get a worse habit than the one you started with.· Simply determine which structural bad habit is most pronounced and edit for that.· The answer is to drop back to conscious competence every now and again to check things out and eradicate the bad habits.· Creating strong word use is merely a matter of amending bad writing habits.
· I said she had to change her lifestyle and eating habits or I would insist she came home.· One of the problems of today's eating habits is that people expect food to last over longer periods.· If you find this happening to your elderly parent, try to help her to reorganise her eating habits.· We shall return later to the benefits of exercise, but first, let's examine our eating habits.· I also tried to incorporate a strong element of freedom so that a long term eating habit could be created.· I went back to my old eating habits and slowly put on more weight.· Parents are trained to develop menus and eating habits based on this system so that a balanced and healthy diet is provided.· The best way to improve your figure is to improve your eating habits.
· It shows yet again that good habits persist as do bad ones.· This is a good habit to acquire to gain optimal athletic performance.· Taking your own samples as the grain goes in is safer, more reliable and a good habit to acquire.· However, computer resources will be in his life for ever, so good habits should be established now.· If you develop good habits they will stand you in good stead in your business and managerial career.· My problem is getting past the idea of a good habit.· At a basic level it is necessary to foster an approach which emphasises responsibility, good manners and good working habits.· Alexander said that careful personal hygiene and good eating habits are the best ways to prevent infection.
· Both subscriptions cost about £800 per year and both have the nasty habit of being so voluminous as to go largely unread.· Although an attractive addition to a tank, it has a nasty habit of fighting with members of its own species.· It is a simple enough message but one which has a nasty habit of being forgotten when companies decide to shed staff.· Appraisal schemes have a nasty habit of becoming complex and over sophisticated.· Yet unlikely figures often have a nasty habit of turning out to be true.
· As McKinsey laments, given half a chance they revert to old habits.· But old habits die hard, and Apple has shown a proclivity to chase market share while hand-wringing over shrinking gross margins.· The City has been quite good at throwing off old habits, less good at mastering new disciplines.· It is hard to break the old habits.· They have reverted to their old habits since then.· But old habits are losing their hold on me.· Why should we not? Old habits die hard.· A lot of times defenses fall into old habits.
· The first time I met a boy who wasn't completely gross in his personal habits, I was thrown into confusion.· He later developed austere personal habits, his brother recalled.· His personal habits are such that his chief following consists of unpaid tradesmen ....· You have to manage yourself, what you wear, how you speak, what your personal habits are.· Every small thing is noticed. Personal habits are becoming more pronounced.· A man or woman whose social or personal habits are unconventional or uncertain is not likely to be risked.
· Main outcome measures - Prevalence of infection with oncogenic human papillomavirus and smoking habits.· Parental attitude to smoking and peer influence are factors which affect both boys and girls taking up the smoking habit.· Patients of both groups were comparable in their ages and in their smoking and drinking habits.· Numerous studies have shown than most young smokers are influenced by their friends' and older siblings' smoking habits.
· But her characters are just a bit too typical in their social habits, their tastes and their personal dilemmas.· Their social habits have fitted them to human society.· There are other ways in which Alasitas customs mark changes in social habits.· A man or woman whose social or personal habits are unconventional or uncertain is not likely to be risked.· What is important is the structure of thought and social habit behind it.· Adults follow fashion in clothes and social habits as assiduously as their children.
· For Rubberneck had the unfortunate habit of hanging around outside school play-yards.· Alas, even the most well-meaning opera buffs have an unfortunate habit of making their favorite indoor sport sound impossibly complicated.· Redundancy is more than an unfortunate habit, however, and results from four factors: 1.
NOUN· David was jailed for four years after robbing a petrol station to pay for his drug habit.· She has a drug habit and puts her personal wants first.· Ken Gillance, defending, said Summersgill became involved in dishonesty because he needed money to feed his drug habit.· However, he collapsed under the pressure of expectation, compounded by an excessive drug habit.· He had something of a drink problem and the beginnings of a drug habit.· None of us has a drug habit or drinks heavily.
· More than a few of us got our first work experience and learned positive work habits in this manner.· They fear that continued poor work habits will doom their children to a life-time of unfulfilled promise.· Successful engineering students tended to be contemptuous of the work habits of lesser mortals.· The follow-through not only helps children meet their responsibility, it also fosters the growth of good work habits and autonomy.· Consider changing lunch and after work habits so you will have less contact with the individual concerned.
VERB· This will safeguard against the student acquiring bad habits in these features of pronunciation.· From parents, children can acquire habits and tastes that are peculiar if not exclusive to a particular class.· Of course he acquired some better habits, such as that great liking for poetry and music.· They may encourage young people to acquire a life-time habit of using buses and not bother with cars.
· After a short while, taking paper, glass and metals for recycling becomes a habit.· This has become a welcome habit in recent years.· Lying awake in the small hours, after falling asleep quickly, can become another maddening habit.· Once clients have self-monitored for a while, it becomes a habit.· This may seem a paradox and different from the usual pattern of learning, therefore it needs to become a habit.· For most young people it is a passing phase which they will grow out of, but for some it can become a habit.· It's becoming a family habit, I fear.· They persuaded their father to let them use it to eat their porridge and this became a habit with them.
· In that context, will he break the habit of a lifetime and answer two questions straight?· Overcoming Overeating may be a powerful way for some women to break a long habit of compulsive eating.· So trying to break the habit actually increases the compulsion to smoke or to eat too much!· I tried to break the habit, but must have failed.· Patients who wore them were almost twice as likely to break the habit as those who wore a dummy patch.· It is hard to break the old habits.· To break the habit, try leaving sugar out of drinks for that magic two weeks.· It provides momentary comfort, but does little to break a troublesome habit or cure a nagging infection.
· They will have to change old habits and acquire new ones.· They say revolution begins at home, and right now Robert Redford is trying to get you to change your viewing habits.· The difficulty with habits is that they are difficult to change.· They did not change their exercise habits.· This makes the assumption, of course, that the plants have not changed their habits since they were fossilized.· Feedback is critical to changing writing habits.· I like the way it emphasises changing eating habits, along with exercising, too.· He changed his habits eventually and became a college president.
· A person may develop bad habits that need correction.· But there is no doubt that young people are developing habits unfavorable to traditional news suppliers.· If you develop good habits they will stand you in good stead in your business and managerial career.· It takes time, not coverage, to develop these habits.· It is also important to develop the habit of checking words in your own writing.· It developed the habit of rushing and pecking the other birds until the woman finally had to kill it.· And over the past few days it had developed an infuriating habit of wandering unerringly back to the subject of Adam Burns.· They develop the important habit of going to school every day.
· Also, Pushkin's eating habits suddenly went awry.· I am in control of my eating habits.· I like the way it emphasises changing eating habits, along with exercising, too.· That is like an obese person with unhealthy eating habits deciding against making dietary changes and opting instead for liposuction.· On these I noted taxonomic details, behaviour, eating habits and life cycles.· Besides, your readers' behavior is as unpredictable as their eating habits or love lives.· Especially in the early weeks of the diet, eating habits are very similar to the old ways.· To break the circle, we had to create new habits, confront our emotions and solve eating problems.
· The senior ministers fell easily into the habit of cooperation. but many in the party refused even to attempt the transition.· The company had fallen into the habit of using George to administer a sort of organizational shock therapy.· Pip now falls into a snobbish habit of connecting high social status with moral superiority.· A lot of times defenses fall into old habits.· Don't fall into the habit of including the entire contents of the original letter in your reply.· Like individuals, organizations fall into bad habits and ineffectual behaviors more or less by chance.· She fell into the habit of feeding the boys early, and continued it even on nights when he did come home.· It's easy to fall into the habit of small hooks.
· Amplified vibration can reinforce the normal rhythm of speech and can greatly assist forming the right habits.· Arcas formed a habit of coming out this way on holiday.· She eventually became quite well educated, without forming any bad habits - in spite of herself!
· As well as food and drink, get into the habit of recording your weight each day.· I got out of the habit in stir.· You get to live a habit.· The problem, in those who hyperventilate, is that they have got into the habit of breathing faster all the time.· In Windows 95, get in the habit of experimenting with it to learn more about what it can do.· If you don't watch out, you can get a worse habit than the one you started with.· I got a habit the size of Manhattan Island and no dealer will touch me.
· But knowing is not doing, and many people find it well nigh impossible to kick the habit.· A: Not unless you plan on kicking the movie habit.· Once the motivation to stop arises, it is not so difficult to kick the habit.· Do I have tolerance for a crack addict who does little to kick the habit?· There too a twenty year old who has managed to kick a habit that was leading him down a dangerous path.· After finally getting her to the hospital, the guys resolve to kick the habit.· Wally Reid was actually keen to kick the habit.· Men, however, do not tend to kick the tobacco habit.
· Old Wang first learned the habit of reading newspapers closely during the Cultural Revolution and has several cuttings pinned on the wall.· Over time, doubleclick. net Web servers learn your browsing habits and preferences.· More than a few of us got our first work experience and learned positive work habits in this manner.· He had little patience with learning lines, a habit which spread to members of his company.· Most importantly, it shows how an organization accustomed to failure and discord can learn to make a habit of success.
· Do all men make a habit of dong this?· If you make a habit of reviewing your fading dreams upon awakening, you can memorize quite a collection of nonsense.· I definitely mustn't make a habit of this, or none of my clothes will fit.· The Times, in its imperious fashion, made a habit of sneering at Falls stunters.· Will you make a habit of running your galleys on the rocks, then?· The nutritive arguments still stand and I would not make a habit of eating lots of white bread.· The odd tipple won't make it a bad habit!· Those who do stumble upon the preserve make it a habit to return.
· If your financial means vary as much as your spending habits, then such a mortgage may be for you.· First, he had to commit to some very different budgeting and spending habits.
· He's spent much of his life in prison after turning to crime to support his habit.· Together they shoot up, play soccer, get into barroom brawls, mug tourists and steal to support their habits.· And while I would never steal or sell my first born to support my habit, I had already become a fugitive.
· Women's viewing habits are different from men's, and older people's viewing habits are different from younger people's.· They say revolution begins at home, and right now Robert Redford is trying to get you to change your viewing habits.· Women's viewing habits are different from men's, and older people's viewing habits are different from younger people's.· Thus autonomy can be viewed as a habit of action that children can begin to develop early on.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► by/through/out of force of habit
- But old habits die hard, and Apple has shown a proclivity to chase market share while hand-wringing over shrinking gross margins.
- It was probably unnecessary, she thought, but old habits died hard.
- Things were going well, but old habits die hard.
- And such habits of mind survive the passage of time.
- But a habit of mind, something much more important, will stay with young people.
- Has this become a habit of mind?
- If views are similar it's because habits of thought are the same.
- The care of the interior demands an obsessive habit of mind.
- These habits of thought and action enable a business or work group to take full credit for the triumphs it achieves.
- This was his habit of mind.
- What habits of thought could matter more?
- The nutritive arguments still stand and I would not make a habit of eating lots of white bread.
- I'm not in the habit of lying to my friends.
- Be careful not to annoy the boss. He has a habit of losing his temper.
- My teenage daughter has a habit of leaving home without her house key.
- We shouldn't rule out a Democrat victory yet. These things have a habit of changing just when you least expect it.
- Arizonans have a habit of embracing wealthy businessmen with virtually no elective experience.
- Here, the guards have a habit of touching the women.
- I have a habit of filling small sketchbooks with hour or day-long sequences of watercolours.
- I have a habit of turning it off as soon as I hear the first commercial.
- Low-confidence people have a habit of trying to accomplish the impossible.-Praise yourself when you do something well.
- Myths have a habit of ignoring the truth.
- Things have a habit of disappearing there.
- Things he predicts have a habit of coming true.
- I'd once helped her break a habit.
- It is important to understand that we are breaking a habit, for we have been conditioned to react in this way.
- These three actions are vastly superior to breaking a habit by will-power alone.
- But I was comfortable in it, ever a creature of habit as I told you earlier.
- Probably not - I am a creature of habit.
- Taurus is a fixed sign, which means you are a creature of habit and are fond of material comforts.
- But old habits die hard, and Apple has shown a proclivity to chase market share while hand-wringing over shrinking gross margins.
- It was probably unnecessary, she thought, but old habits died hard.
- Perhaps because it's an island old customs die hard here.
- Things were going well, but old habits die hard.
- This is an area where old customs die hard.
- After nearly 60 years, it's hard to kick the habit.
- After finally getting her to the hospital, the guys resolve to kick the habit.
- But knowing is not doing, and many people find it well nigh impossible to kick the habit.
- Do I have tolerance for a crack addict who does little to kick the habit?
- In recent years, more than 11 million smokers in Britain have kicked the habit.
- Once the motivation to stop arises, it is not so difficult to kick the habit.
- She used treats and kindness rather than nagging to persuade her mum to kick the habit for at least two weeks.
- They're members of Wendy Jeffery's tap dancing class, and they just can't kick the habit.
- Wally Reid was actually keen to kick the habit.
- Paul started dealing drugs to support his own cocaine habit.
WORD FAMILYnounhabithabituéadjectivehabitualverbhabituateadverbhabitually
1usual/regular [countable, uncountable] 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/out of/from habit (=because this is what you usually do in this situation) I did it out of habit.2drugs [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.3not 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.4I’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.5have 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.6old 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 anymore, but old habits die hard.7habit of thought/mind the way someone usually thinks about something, or their usual attitudes8clothing [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)COLLOCATIONSverbshave a habit (of doing something)· He has a habit of being late.something becomes a habit· Once 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.adjectivesa 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 menpersonal 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.phrasesbe 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.THESAURUShabit 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.