1
as in sermon
a public speech usually by a member of the clergy for the purpose of giving moral guidance or uplift
last Sunday's homily was about being kind to your neighbors
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2
as in platitude
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
a TV movie filled with the usual hokey homilies about people triumphing over life's adversities
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of homily
Earlier in the day, in his Easter homily, Pope Leo focused on retaining hope amid the violence of war, climate change and other suffering.
—
Billy Stockwell,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
The following clergy are also set to participate in Cheney's funeral including Hollerith, who will offer the homily.
—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
13 Nov. 2025
No lectures, no homilies, no empty words.
—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
In his fiery homilies, the Monsignor seems to target one new congregation member per week, pushing for the victory of a walkout.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for homily
Billy Stockwell,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
The following clergy are also set to participate in Cheney's funeral including Hollerith, who will offer the homily.
—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
13 Nov. 2025
No lectures, no homilies, no empty words.
—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
In his fiery homilies, the Monsignor seems to target one new congregation member per week, pushing for the victory of a walkout.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for homily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for homily
Noun
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Dani provides the voiceover, filled with strained metaphors about earthquakes and sermons on the importance of summer, but the pretense that the dialogue is taken from his interrogation is quickly abandoned.
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Warnock said in his sermon that the prophet Isaiah provides words of hope but also a road map on how to move forward.
Noun
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As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, some of America’s most visible business leaders are doing more than offering patriotic platitudes.
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There’s passable yet indistinguishable music in this exact style dropping every day, but the difference with Chicago’s Fatso is that his lyrics feel like scraps of conversations that communicate his hurt without leaning on platitudes.
Noun
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The fire contained compounds from more than two dozen chemical families, including dangerous amounts of bromide, a naturally occurring element that can irritate the skin and mucus membranes.
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The bromide has been debunked, but there is power — and delight — in making coffee shop drinks at home.
Noun
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But together, the whole is blander than the sum of its parts—a subtle banality humans can often implicitly sense.
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Communion does him no favors, though, mostly in its sheer banality.
Noun
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One popular saying suggests a knot tied on a rainy day is harder to untie.
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But your abhorrence of the outcomes of particular elections doesn’t justify your saying, Well, the hell with that.
Noun
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This is certainly true—and a rather banal truism.
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Rick Jackson is testing that truism in his campaign for Georgia governor.
Noun
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The reason can be explained by a Japanese proverb about the importance of leaving no mess.
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Popeye the Sailor Man has been guzzling spinach since 1931 to build muscle, while the apple-a-day advice derives from a 19th-century Welsh proverb.
Noun
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The ‘meet cute’ is becoming a trope in how people on social media talk about romance.
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The framing often positions Clark, a white player, as fragile and in need of shielding from predominantly Black opponents, reinforcing racist tropes about Black women being overly aggressive.
Cite this Entry
“Homily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/homily. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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