used to

British  

/ juːst /

adjective

1. made familiar with; accustomed to

   I am used to hitchhiking

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verb

1. (takes an infinitive or implied infinitive) used as an auxiliary to express habitual or accustomed actions, states, etc, taking place in the past but not continuing into the present

   I don't drink these days, but I used to

   I used to fish here every day

used to Idioms  

1. Accustomed or habituated to. This expression is often put as , as in I'm not used to driving a manual-shift car , or She can't get used to calling him Dad . [Early 1500s]

2. Formerly. This sense is used with a following verb to indicate a past state, as in I used to ride my bicycle to the post office , or This used to be the best restaurant in town . [Late 1800s]

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Usage

The most common negative form of used to is didn't used to (or didn't use to ), but in formal contexts used not to is preferred

Example Sentences

Used to mark the changing seasons, the names typically relate to significant events in nature and agriculture.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

As the headline on Ben Stein’s 1987 article put it, “Investment Banking Isn’t What It Used to Be.”

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Used to be that this was a quarterly thing.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 2, 2025

The film also received an original song Oscar nomination for Patti Austin’s “The Girl Who Used to Be Me,” written by Marvin Hamlisch and husband-wife lyricist duo Alan and Marilyn Bergman.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025

Used to sing too, over the hissing of the iron, sang old Hazara songs about tulip fields.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini