What Does Grown Accustomed To Mean?

Grown Accustomed To Meaning

Definition: To be used to or familiar with something.

Origin of Grown Accustomed To

The word accustomed comes from late Middle English and originated around the 1400s.

Examples of Grown Accustomed To

Two friends are discussing a problem that one of them is having after losing his job.

Kira: Hey. How have you been doing lately? I know it’s been rough losing your job.

Dan: Yeah. It’s not too bad. I had enough money saved up so that I’m not in danger of going bankrupt. I’m just a little disappointed that I had to cut back on my expenses.

Kira: Oh, really? Well, at least you still have a nice apartment!

Dan: You think this apartment is nice? It’s less than a quarter of the size of my old apartment. It’s a hovel!

Kira: I don’t know. It’s a lot bigger than my apartment. I think it is pretty nice.

Dan: I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be a jerk. It’s just that I was accustomed to living in a much bigger place, so this seems tiny by comparison.

The following example involves two women talking about going on a church mission to Alaska.

Gertrude: Are you coming with me to volunteer in Alaska?

Ruby: Oh, I don’t think that would be a good idea for me.

Gertrude: Why not? You love helping others!

Ruby: Yes, but I was born and raised in Texas. I’m accustomed to the nice, warm weather here. I don’t think I could handle the cold weather in late fall.

Gertrude: That’s a good point.

More Examples

This excerpt is about a sports team who has won many times and, therefore, won’t be nervous about competing.

• But the Tigers, who made a clean sweep of the Ivy League, are accustomed to winning and won’t be intimidated by the bright lights. –USA Today

This excerpt is about the amount of food that restaurants serve customers. The author believes the sizes are outrageously large, but people are beginning to think these sizes are normal.

• It’s difficult to alter our collective mindset when we’ve become so accustomed to being served half a box of pasta per meal at a restaurant. –USA Today

Summary

The phrase to grow accustomed to something means to become familiar with something to the point where you expect it.