used

used — verb

1. a way of describing regular past actions or past states that have stopped or cha

1.verbA2
Definition

a way of describing regular past actions or past states that have stopped or changed, pointing out that things are different at the present time.

Example

Joaquín used to walk to school every morning when he was a child.

used to + base verb for past routine

The old cinema on Main Street used to show black-and-white films.

Common collocations
  • used to + infinitive
  • never used to
  • always used to
  • did not use to
Synonyms
  • would

    Can describe repeated past actions but not past states; 'I used to live in London' but not 'I would live in London'.

  • was accustomed to

    More formal and emphasizes familiarity rather than mere habit.

Grammar Patterns

used to + base verb

didn't use to + base verb

used not to + base verb

Did + subject + use to + base verb?

Usage Note

This sense is only used in the past tense. Do not confuse with the adjective sense 'be used to' (to be familiar with something), which takes a noun or -ing form instead of a base verb.

Common Mistakes

I am used to go swimming every summer.
I used to go swimming every summer.
For past habits, use 'used to' without 'am/are/is'; the verb sense does not take 'be' before it.
I use to play the guitar when I was young.
I used to play the guitar when I was young.
The past-habit meaning always uses 'used' (with -d), not the present-tense 'use'.

used — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three describe past actions or situations, but they differ in usage and scope. 'Used to' is the most common and versatile: it works for both repeated actions ('I used to visit my grandmother every Sunday') and past states ('She used to live in Tokyo'). 'Would' can only describe repeated actions, not states — you can say 'He would often call me late at night' but NOT 'He would live in Tokyo'. 'Was accustomed to' is more formal and emphasizes familiarity from habit rather than the action itself; it pairs naturally with a time frame ('After two years in the army, he was accustomed to waking at dawn'). For everyday learner use, 'used to' is the safest choice for past habits, while 'would' adds a literary or nostalgic tone for repeated events.

used to ↗would ↗was accustomed to

Common collocations

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'used' comes from the past participle of the verb 'use', which entered English from Old French 'user' (to employ, make use of), tracing back to Latin 'usus', the past participle of 'uti' (to use, enjoy, experience). The past-habit meaning ('used to') developed in English around the 16th century from the idea of being accustomed to doing something through repeated practice. The adjective sense 'second-hand' (adj/3) emerged in the 19th century as a natural extension of something that has already been 'used' by someone else.