Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for used to

used to

/ juːst /

adjective

  1. made familiar with; accustomed to

    I am used to hitchhiking

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

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
Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

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]

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]

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Jordan: It starts at a younger age now but when I was growing up you used to get day release one day a week on a Tuesday, so you had the full day at training.

Read more on BBC

I used to read science fiction when I was little.

He noted that “holdover” is also used to describe peat bog fires that burn many feet below the surface for weeks or months, even under snowpack.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"All our ethnic brothers used to take part freely and happily. I want to get those times back."

Read more on Barron's

We are so used to associating “masterpieces” with largeness of conception that it often can shock us to discover that modest quirkiness has its own appeal.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


useduseful