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

See Examples For:

used to

Ukraine's air alert app is widely used to warn of Russian missile and drone attacks.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

Eight trials compared regulated medical cannabis with a placebo, an inactive treatment used to measure whether a therapy produces genuine benefits.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026

Samira says she never used to be political.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

Not something you really get used to by 25.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

Her no-nonsense tone is different from what I’m used to, and I know it bothers her, watching me struggle to wear Dad’s guilt, like he designed it to fit me.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

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