Library / English Dictionary

HONOR

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A woman's virtue or chastity

Synonyms:

honor; honour; pureness; purity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("honor" is a kind of...):

chastity; sexual morality; virtue (morality with respect to sexual relations)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The quality of being honorable and having a good name

Example:

a man of honor

Synonyms:

honor; honour

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("honor" is a kind of...):

righteousness (adhering to moral principles)

Antonym:

dishonor (lacking honor or integrity)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction

Example:

an award for bravery

Synonyms:

accolade; award; honor; honour; laurels

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("honor" is a kind of...):

symbol (an arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "honor"):

Prix Goncourt (an award given annually for contributions to French literature)

Prix de Rome (an annual prize awarded by the French government in a competition of painters and artists and sculptors and musicians and architects; the winner in each category receives support for a period of study in Rome)

Academy Award; Oscar (an annual award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievements in motion picture production and performance)

Nobel prize (an annual award for outstanding contributions to chemistry or physics or physiology and medicine or literature or economics or peace)

Emmy (an annual award by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for outstanding achievements in television)

trophy (an award for success in war or hunting)

decoration; laurel wreath; medal; medallion; palm; ribbon (an award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event)

letter; varsity letter (an award earned by participation in a school sport)

honorable mention; mention (an official recognition of merit)

distinction (an honor awarded to someone in recognition of achievement or superiority)

citation; commendation (an official award (as for bravery or service) usually given as formal public statement)

cachet; seal; seal of approval (an indication of approved or superior status)

crown; pennant (the award given to the champion)

academic degree; degree (an award conferred by a college or university signifying that the recipient has satisfactorily completed a course of study)

aliyah ((Judaism) the honor of being called up to the reading desk in the synagogue to read from the Torah)

prize; trophy (something given as a token of victory)

Derivation:

honor (bestow honor or rewards upon)

honorary (given as an honor without the normal duties)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The state of being honored

Synonyms:

honor; honour; laurels

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("honor" is a kind of...):

standing (social or financial or professional status or reputation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "honor"):

reputation; repute (the state of being held in high esteem and honor)

esteem; regard; respect (the condition of being honored (esteemed or respected or well regarded))

celebrity; fame; renown (the state or quality of being widely honored and acclaimed)

glorification; glory (a state of high honor)

Antonym:

dishonor (a state of shame or disgrace)

Derivation:

honor (accept as pay)

honor (bestow honor or rewards upon)

honorary (given as an honor without the normal duties)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Accept as pay

Example:

we honor checks and drafts

Synonyms:

honor; honour

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "honor" is one way to...):

accept; have; take (receive willingly something given or offered)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Antonym:

dishonor (refuse to accept)

Derivation:

honor (the state of being honored)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Show respect towards

Example:

honor your parents!

Synonyms:

abide by; honor; honour; observe; respect

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "honor" is one way to...):

accept (consider or hold as true)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "honor"):

celebrate; lionise; lionize (assign great social importance to)

tolerate (recognize and respect (rights and beliefs of others))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

honorable (deserving of esteem and respect)

honoring (conformity with law or custom or practice etc.)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Bestow honor or rewards upon

Example:

The scout was rewarded for courageous action

Synonyms:

honor; honour; reward

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "honor" is one way to...):

recognise; recognize (show approval or appreciation of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "honor"):

drink; pledge; salute; toast; wassail (propose a toast to)

dignify; ennoble (confer dignity or honor upon)

decorate (award a mark of honor, such as a medal, to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Antonym:

dishonor (bring shame or dishonor upon)

Derivation:

honor (a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction)

honor (the state of being honored)

honoree (a recipient of honors in recognition of noteworthy accomplishments)

Credits

 Context examples: 

And though he wasn’t the first or only person to observe this stellar spectacle, the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe wrote a book about his extensive observations of the event, gaining the honor of it being named after him.

(Chandra Movie Captures Expanding Debris from a Stellar Explosion, NASA)

Letters from several persons, whose praise was honor, followed the appearance of the little story, newspapers copied it, and strangers as well as friends admired it.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

“Truly you came in good time, honored sir,” said he.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Let’s look at what was going on in your prestigious tenth house of honors, awards, and achievement.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

All of us in the office enjoyed it immensely, and, as you see, it was given the place of honor and immediate publication.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

They were held in their lofty places of honor.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

And Kamo-tah said, 'Go thou to Nulato and get food, but say no word of what has befallen me. And when I have eaten, and am grown well and strong, I will kill this bear. Then will I return in honor to Nulato, and no man may laugh and say Kamo-tah was undone by a bear.'

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

No one could dispute her right to come; the house was her husband's from the moment of his father's decease; but the indelicacy of her conduct was so much the greater, and to a woman in Mrs. Dashwood's situation, with only common feelings, must have been highly unpleasing;—but in HER mind there was a sense of honor so keen, a generosity so romantic, that any offence of the kind, by whomsoever given or received, was to her a source of immovable disgust.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Young man, when I first had the honor of making your acquaintance you hit me in the face.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Have you not done enough for honor and the public cause?

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)