hymn

1 of 2

noun

ˈhim 

1

a

: a song of praise to God

sing a hymn of thanksgiving

b

: a metrical composition adapted for singing in a religious service

a book of hymns

2

: a song of praise or joy

in jolly hymns they praise the god of wine

—John Dryden

3

: something resembling a song of praise : paean

The novel is a hymn to childhood and innocence.

hymnlike

ˈhim-ˌlīk 

adjective

hymn

2 of 2

verb

hymned ˈhimd  ; hymning ˈhi-miŋ 

transitive verb

: to praise or worship in or as if in hymns (see hymn entry 1)

the heroes who are hymned in this book

intransitive verb

: to sing a song that praises God : to sing a hymn

listening to the choir hymn

Synonyms

Noun

• anthem
• canticle
• carol
• chorale
• psalm
• spiritual

Verb

• bless
• carol
• celebrate
• emblazon
• exalt
• extol
• extoll
• glorify
• laud
• magnify
• praise
• resound

Examples of hymn in a Sentence

Noun

sing a hymn of praise

our Sunday church services always open with a hymn

Verb

during the honeymoon following the inauguration, newspaper articles seemed to hymn the president's every move

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Most of the rentals are from Saturday to Saturday, which lets those who want to visit the Holden Beach Chapel on Sunday and hear invited preachers from different faiths and also to sing the old hymns. —Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 28 May 2024

The service of hymns and prayer will be followed by a Memorial Roll Call of members of the armed services who died in active duty. —Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English ymne, from Old English ymen, from Latin hymnus song of praise, from Greek hymnos

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1667, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

hymn

noun

ˈhim

1

: a song of praise especially to God

2

: a religious song