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break the habit
/breɪk ðə ˈhæbɪt/◆phrasal verb
stop doing something repeatedly
It took her months to break the habit of biting her nails.
It took her months to stop biting her nails repeatedly.
informal
to stop doing something that you do regularly, often something you want to stop
He tried to break the habit of checking his phone first thing in the morning.
He tried to stop checking his phone immediately after waking up.
Breaking the habit of procrastination is easier said than done.
Stopping the habit of delaying tasks is difficult in practice.
Often implies effort or struggle to change a behavior.
Collocations
break a bad habitstop doing something harmful or undesirablehard to break the habitdifficult to stop a repeated behavior
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Use with 'of' for clarity
Always follow 'break the habit' with 'of' + gerund (verb-ing) to specify the behavior. Example: 'break the habit of eating late at night.'
Gold Rule
Avoid literal interpretation
Do not confuse this phrasal verb with its literal meaning. 'Break the habit' does not involve physical breaking but refers to stopping a repeated action.
Word Origin
The phrase combines 'break' (to stop or interrupt) and 'habit' (a settled tendency or practice). The verb 'break' in this context has been used since the 16th century to mean 'to discontinue,' while 'habit' derives from Old French 'habit' (clothing, custom), ultimately from Latin 'habitus' (condition, appearance).
Usage Notes
Commonly used in personal development, psychology, and everyday conversation. Often implies a conscious effort to change behavior. Can be used literally (e.g., breaking a physical habit like smoking) or figuratively (e.g., breaking a mental habit like overthinking).
Word Breakdown
break
to stop or discontinue
verbthe habit
a repeated behavior or action
noun phraseEnglish Dictionary