10 Expressions Related to Habits in English with Meanings and Examples

Do you know how to talk about habits naturally in English? In this lesson, you will learn 10 useful expressions related to habits, including common collocations and idioms with clear meanings and example sentences. These phrases will help you improve your vocabulary and speak English more fluently in everyday situations.

1. An annoying / irritating habit

This expression is used to describe something a person does regularly that other people find unpleasant or frustrating.

• She has an annoying habit of interrupting people when they are speaking.
• It’s such an irritating habit of his to leave the toothpaste tube open.
• My brother has a really annoying habit of tapping his fingers on the table.

2. A good habit / a bad habit

We use these expressions to talk about habits that are beneficial or harmful.

• Reading before bed is a good habit to develop.
• One good habit that really helps me is planning my day in advance.
• Eating too much junk food is a bad habit.
• He has a bad habit of leaving everything until the last minute.

3. Make a habit of something / Make something a habit

This means to start doing something regularly, especially something useful or healthy.

• Try to make a habit of revising a little every day.
• I’m trying to make exercise a habit again.
• She made a habit of writing down new vocabulary in a notebook.
• If you make saving money a habit, it becomes much easier over time.

4. Be in the habit of / Get into the habit of

These expressions mean to do something regularly or routinely.

Be in the habit of describes an existing routine.

Get into the habit of describes developing that routine.

• I’m in the habit of checking my email first thing in the morning.
• She’s in the habit of going for a walk after dinner.
• You should get into the habit of speaking English every day.
• He got into the habit of staying up too late during the holidays.

5. Fall into a habit

This expression means to gradually start doing something regularly, often without planning to. It is often used for bad habits.

• I fell into the habit of scrolling through my phone before going to sleep.
• She fell into the habit of skipping breakfast when she was at university.
• It’s easy to fall into bad habits when you’re feeling stressed.

6. Old habits die hard

This is a very common saying. It means that it is difficult to stop doing something you have done for a long time.

• My grandfather still writes everything down on paper. Old habits die hard.
• She still wakes up at 6 a.m., even on holiday. Old habits die hard.
• He knows he should stop checking work emails at night, but old habits die hard.

7. Kick the habit / Break the habit

Both expressions mean to stop doing something that has become a bad habit.

• He’s trying to kick the habit of smoking.
• I want to break the habit of going to bed so late.
• It can be hard to kick the habit of eating sweets every evening.
• She finally broke the habit of biting her nails.

8. A creature of habit

A creature of habit is a person who likes routine and does the same things in the same way all the time.

• My dad is a creature of habit — he has the same breakfast every morning.
• She’s a real creature of habit and doesn’t like sudden changes.
• I’m a creature of habit when it comes to my morning routine.

9. By force of habit

This expression means because you have done something so many times that you do it automatically.

• By force of habit, I reached for my glasses even though I wasn’t wearing them.
• He still checks his old email account by force of habit.
• She made tea for two by force of habit, even though her daughter had moved out.

10. Out of habit

This means because you are used to doing something, not because you consciously decided to do it.

• I still wake up early at weekends out of habit.
• She picked up her phone out of habit, even though she had promised to use it less.
• He said “Monday” instead of “Tuesday” out of habit.

Final thoughts

Habits shape our daily lives, so it is no surprise that English has many expressions to talk about them. Some habits help us, some hold us back, and some are simply part of who we are.

By learning expressions such as get into the habit of, kick the habit, and old habits die hard, you will be able to speak about routines and behaviour in a much more natural way.

Try to choose a few of these expressions and use them in your own sentences today. That is the best way to make them stick — a good learning habit, you might say.

FAQ 

What does “old habits die hard” mean?
It means that it is difficult to stop doing something you have done for a long time.

How can I talk about habits in English?
You can use collocations and idiomatic expressions such as make a habit of, get into the habit of, and kick the habit.

What is a creature of habit?
A creature of habit is someone who likes routine and usually does the same things in the same way.

What are some useful expressions related to habits?
Some common ones include a bad habit, fall into a habit, break the habit, old habits die hard, and by force of habit.