honor

²hon·or

verb \ˈä-nər\

hon·oredhon·or·ing \ˈä-nə-riŋ, ˈän-riŋ\

Definition of HONOR

transitive verb

1

a : to regard or treat (someone) with admiration and respect : to regard or treat with honor b : to give special recognition to : to confer honor on

2

a : to live up to or fulfill the terms of <honor a commitment> b : to accept as payment <honor a credit card>

3

: to salute with a bow in square dancing

— hon·or·ee \ˌä-nə-ˈrē\ noun

— hon·or·er \ˈä-nər-ər\ noun

Examples of HONOR

1. When we got married, we promised to love and honor each other.
2. We were honored with the queen's presence.
3. She has been honored by several organizations for her charitable works.
4. We need to find an appropriate way to honor these brave people.
5. They have established a scholarship as a way to honor his memory.
6. They are accused of failing to honor their debts.
7. Cape Ann, an hour's drive north of Boston, is far sleepier than the famous elbow that bounds the southern reach of Massachusetts Bay. … There aren't any schmaltzy songs about my granite cape, which was named to honor a queen, thank you very much. —Anita Diamant, National Geographic Traveler, September 2005
8. But by talking with hikers and trail builders in the years since, and tracing the history these stone piles carry with them, I would learn that cairns are more than just interesting curiosities. I would discover that cairns honor the dead, save lives, mark boundaries, protect vegetation, claim territory, and reflect the seasons. —Barbara Claire Kasselmann, AMC Outdoors, May 1999
9. Ricketts left for Mexico to study typhus in July of that year, where it killed him in 1910 at the age of thirty-nine. To honor his memory, the organisms that cause typhus and sundry spotted fevers were dubbed rickettsia in 1916. —Wayne Biddle, A Field Guide to Germs, 1995
10. “Elegant Attire is a tradition in the Saratoga Clubhouse,” says a sign outside the clubhouse. “Ladies and gentlemen who continue to honor this tradition (e.g., dresses, suits or sport jackets) are always appreciated.” It is not easy to arbitrate good taste, particularly when the temperature is soaring toward the 90's on a humid day. —George Vecsey, New York Times, 21 Aug. 1994

Origin of HONOR

(see ¹honor)

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to HONOR

Synonyms: fete (or fête), recognize

Related Words: acknowledge, cite, commend, compliment, credit, thank; extol (also extoll), glorify, laud, praise, tout; acclaim, applaud, cheer, hail, laureate, salute; celebrate, commemorate, memorialize, observe; congratulate, felicitate

Near Antonyms: discredit, disgrace, dishonor, humble, humiliate, shame; bad-mouth, defame, libel, malign, slander; boo, hiss, hoot, jeer; censure, condemn, damn, denounce, reprobate; mock, put down, ridicule, slight

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Other Dance Terms

attitude, saltatory, sashay, taw