Accustom

//əˈkʌs.təm// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Custom. obsolete
Verb
  1. 1
    To make familiar by use; to cause to accept; to habituate, familiarize, or inure. transitive

    "Early exposure to pet allergens and pet-related bacteria accustoms the body to allergens."

  2. 2
    make psychologically or physically used (to something) wordnet
  3. 3
    To be wont. intransitive, obsolete

    "all of them accustoming , once in the year , to take their kind of the fresh water"

  4. 4
    To cohabit. intransitive, obsolete

    "Much better do we Britans fulfill the work of Nature than you Romans; we with the beſt men accuſtom op'nly; you with the baſest commit private adulteries."

Synonyms

All synonyms
habituatehabituateacclimateacclimateaccommodateacquaint

Example

More examples

"It took a long time to accustom myself to the noise."

Etymology

The verb is from Middle English accustomen, from Old French acoustumer, acustumer (Modern French accoutumer) corresponding to a (“to, toward”) + custom. More at custom, costume. The noun is from Middle English acustom.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.