used to

British  

/ juːst /

adjective

1. made familiar with; accustomed to

   I am used to hitchhiking

---

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]

---

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

See Examples For:

used to

E-commerce fulfillment provider Paxon used to start staffing up around September to prepare for increased online sales.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Cranberry juice has long been used to help prevent urinary tract infections.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026

In an opening scene of Modern Warfare 4, video of rescue efforts from the 2022 disaster in Itaewon, South Korea, is used to show the aftermath of an imagined attack from North Korea.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

Maybe Americans will have to get used to the idea that jobs are not as abundant as they used to be.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

Arlo and my dad are pretty used to my knowing things before they happen.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---