Dictionary

used to en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /juːs(t).tu/ (UK)
• /juːs.tə/ (UK)
• /jus(t).tu/ (US)
• /jus.tə/ (US)
• (US) audio
• /juːzd/

Etymology

From used, past participle of use (“(archaic sense) to be in the habit of”) + to.

Meanings

1. (idiomatic, not-comparable, with-noun-phrase) Accustomed to, tolerant or accepting of.
   • He was shivering a little, for he had always been used to sleeping in a proper bed, and by this time his coat had worn so thin and threadbare from hugging that it was no longer any protection to him. 1921 June, Margery Williams, “The Velveteen Rabbit: Or How Toys Become Real”, in Harper’s Bazar, volume LVI, number 6 (2504 overall), New York, N.Y.: International Magazine Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:
   • “Well,” I says, “I cal'late a body could get used to Tophet if he stayed there long enough.” ¶ She flared up; the least mite of a slam at Doctor Wool was enough to set her going. 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter V, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
   • Nobody's ever taught you how to live out on the street and now you're gonna have to get used to it. 1965, Bob Dylan, Like a Rolling Stone:
   • I became/grew quite used to his ways.
   • I got used to this weather.
   • I am very used to cleaning up other people’s mess.

Forms

Antonyms

unused to

Synonyms

wont to · accustomed to

Translations (43)

gl afeito (accustomed to) · uk зви́клий (accustomed to) · nap abbituato (accustomed to) · th เคยชิน (accustomed to) · da vant til (accustomed to) · be абвы́клы (accustomed to) · sk zvyknutý (accustomed to) · tr alışık (accustomed to) · tr alışkın (accustomed to) · cs zvyklý (accustomed to) · no ha for vane (accustomed to) · he נָהַג (accustomed to) · th ชิน (accustomed to) · cy arfer (accustomed to) · hu megszokik (accustomed to) · pt acostumado (accustomed to) · it abituato a (accustomed to) · la solitus (accustomed to) · mk нави́кнат (accustomed to) · gl adoito (accustomed to) · nl gewend te (accustomed to) · ht abitye (accustomed to) · hy սովոր (accustomed to) · fr habitué (à) (accustomed to) · ro obișnuit (accustomed to) · mk на́учен (accustomed to) · gd cleachdte (accustomed to) · sv van vid (accustomed to) · hu hozzá van szokva (accustomed to) · bg свикнал (accustomed to) · he רָגִיל לְ־ (accustomed to) · be звы́клы (accustomed to) · ca acostumat a (accustomed to) · ro acomodat (accustomed to) · be прывы́клы (accustomed to) · fa عادت کردن به (accustomed to) · br gwechall (accustomed to) · nb være vant til (accustomed to) · es acostumbrado a (accustomed to) · pl przyzwyczajony (accustomed to) · el συνηθισμένος (accustomed to) · arz متعود على (accustomed to) · bzj yoostu (accustomed to)

used to en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /juːs(t).tu/ (UK)
• /juːs.tə/ (UK)
• /jus(t).tu/ (US)
• /jus.tə/ (US)
• (US) audio
• /juːzd/

Etymology

From used, past of use (“(archaic sense) to be in the habit of”) + to (“infinitive marker”).

Meanings

1. (no-past-participle, no-present-participle) Formerly and habitually or repeatedly, but possibly no longer, did.
   • You never used to like soap operas, did you?  I used to like that band long ago, and I was surprised I still do.  I used to know a guy from the UK who pronounced "mother" with the "r".  It used to be me who ran the company.  There used to be open fields here. Now it's a shopping mall.
   • He used to drop into my chambers once in a while to smoke, and was first-rate company. When I gave a dinner there was generally a cover laid for him. I liked the man for his own sake, and even had he promised to turn out a celebrity it would have had no weight with me. 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 2:
   • They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect. And why else was he put away up there out of sight?—and so magnificent a brush as he had too. 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:
   • My wife used not to be so hot-tempered.
   • 1980, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson (lyrics), Agnetha Fältskog (lead vocalist), ABBA, The Winner Takes It All But tell me does she kiss like I used to kiss you? / Does it feel the same, when she calls your name?
   • When I was a kid I used to think it was all the same clouds that kept coming by. 1997, George Carlin, Brain Droppings, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 94:
   • The club used to be frequented by locals; then, after the "incident", it used to get raided by the cops.
   • I always used to go to the seaside in August as a child.
   • He used to live here, but moved away last year.

Forms

Deriveds

they don't make them like they used to · ain't what it used to was · used-to-be

Translations (31)

bzj doz (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · quc k'amanik (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · hu valaha (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · hu régen (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · nb pleide å (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · uk рані́ше (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · nb brukte å (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · de ständig (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · kk -атын (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · km ធ្លាប់ (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · nn bruka å (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · de damals (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · de mal (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · ja past tense followed by ものだ (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · hu korábban (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · cy then optionally arfer (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · pl kiedyś (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · de früher (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · hu régebben (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · gl adoitar (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · hu szokott (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · ga ba ghnách le (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · hu azelőtt (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · vi đã từng (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · de regelmäßig (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · de oft (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · fi ennen (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · cy then the verbal noun. (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · nn brukte å (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · cy in the literary language (formerly and habitually or repeatedly) · bzj yoostu (formerly and habitually or repeatedly)