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Kick the habit

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An idiomatic phrase meaning to cease addictive behavior, abandon harmful practice, or achieve lasting abstinence; percussive-action metaphor used in poetry to convey decisive rupture, liberating force, or permanent cessation through violent-separation imagery emphasizing transformative break.

Detailed Definition
Kick the habit means to break free from an addiction, compulsion, damaging routine, or entrenched behaviour. In poetry, the idiom can describe recovery from drink, drugs, gambling, anger, grief, self-pity, or toxic love. The verb “kick” suggests forceful rejection, as though the habit clings to the body and must be physically thrown off. A poet may use it to mark triumph, struggle, relapse, or renewal. The phrase is useful for exploring self-mastery, dependence, and the hard labour of change.
Example
Example in poetry:
Break habit: "He finally managed to kick the habit that chained his potential."; Recovery: "Communities help members kick the habit of self-doubt."; Example: "Portrays triumph over addiction in recovery narratives."; "Time to kick the habit of procrastination."
Additional Notes
“Kick the habit” means to stop a repeated behavior, especially an addiction or unhealthy routine. In poetry it can frame recovery, self-discipline, relapse, or liberation, but its casual idiom may also introduce irony around serious struggle. Compare “break the cycle” and “quit cold turkey.” Study hint: show the habit’s pull as well as the speaker’s release; a convincing recovery poem acknowledges difficulty rather than declaring easy triumph.
Also Known As
Break the habit Kick the addiction Drop the habit Shake the habit
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