used

1 of 2

adjective

ˈyüzd 

 in the phrase "used to" usually  ˈyüs(t)

1

: having been used before

one of the most used quotes

: such as

a

: already exhausted for its intended purpose

a used tissue

b

: having had a previous owner : secondhand

a used car

used clothing/furniture

2

: accustomed, habituated

… showing how used he was to papers with lies on them …

—Gilbert Millstein

used

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of use entry 1

Synonyms

Adjective

• accustomed
• given
• habituated
• wont

Examples of used in a Sentence

Adjective

The books on this shelf are used.

my grandmother has spent her whole life on the farm and is used to working hard

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Jessica Caldwell, head of insights at automotive site Edmunds, noted there hasn’t been a bump in Tesla owners appraising their used cars. —Auzinea Bacon, CNN, 1 Mar. 2025

And the car’s current price on the used market is appealing as well. —Jeremy Korzeniewski, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2025

Weighing the environmental impact of a new foam mattress versus a used one, cost versus expediency and guilt. —Anelise Chen, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2025

The shielding is designed to catch used to catch any small pieces of deteriorated concrete. —Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1683, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing used

• got used to
• take some getting used to
• used not to
• used to
• what it used to be

Rhymes for used

• abused
• accused
• amused
• bemused
• confused
• contused
• defused
• diffused
• disused
• effused
• enthused
• excused

Kids Definition

used

adjective

ˈyüzd 

 in the phrase  ",

 used to  ",

 usually  ˈyüs(t)

1

: employed in accomplishing something

a much used excuse

2

: that has been used

especially : secondhand sense 2a

used cars

3

: having the habit of doing or experiencing

is used to flying