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

Everything just feels locked in, optimized, honed for palpability and communication. — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 3 Sep. 2026

The city offered a site in Exposition Park, just down the street from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, where Lucas first honed his craft. — Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

To better hone the London assortment, Perrin-Faivre said the company utilized e-commerce insights and cross-border shopping patterns. — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026

Nadler honed his comedy chops as a summer camp counselor and discovered a passion for stand-up while a theater major at Ithaca College. — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 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