hone

1 of 3

verb (1)

ˈhōn 

honed; honing

transitive verb

1

: to sharpen or smooth with a whetstone

2

: to make more acute, intense, or effective : whet

… helped her hone her comic timing …

—Patricia Bosworth

honer noun

hone

2 of 3

noun

: whetstone

hone

3 of 3

verb (2)

honed; honing

intransitive verb

1

dialect : yearn

—often used with for or after

2

dialect : grumble, moan

Synonyms of hone

Verb (1)

• sharpen

Examples of hone in a Sentence

Verb (1)

honed the knife's blade to razor-like sharpness

honed his crossword-puzzle skills by reading the dictionary as though it were a thrilling novel

honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Scheft, who grew up in Israel and Denmark and honed his craft across Europe, is best known as the founder of Lehamin Bakery in Tel Aviv and for co-founding Breads Bakery in New York. — Connie Ogle july 17, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026

Creatively, the film is in the sturdy hands of director Wes Ball, who honed his genre chops with the Maze Runner trilogy and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024). — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026

Orienting and situating new guests has been honed to a fine art, and the activities and general levels of service are well-supervised and helpful. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2026

An important place for young people to hone their skills from across the country and without socio-economic exemption. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb (1)

Middle English, from Old English hān stone; akin to Old Norse hein whetstone, Latin cot-, cos, Sanskrit śiśāti he whets

Verb (2)

Middle French hoigner to grumble

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hone

• hone in
• hone in on

Rhymes for hone

• blown
• clone
• cone
• crone
• drone
• flown
• groan
• grown
• joan
• jone
• known
• loan

Kids Definition

hone

verb

ˈhōn

honed; honing

1

: to sharpen with or as if with a fine abrasive stone

2

: to make more intense or effective

top athletes honing their skills