hymn

noun

\ ˈhim

Definition of hymn

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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.

hymn

verb

hymned\ ˈhimd

\; hymning\ ˈhi-miŋ

Definition of hymn (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from hymn Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about hymn

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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

The old hymn evoked it for more than a century before it was picked up as a song of protest and liberation by the civil rights movement. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "What two fictional Gileads can teach us about America in 2018," 12 July 2018 Many of the songs were old party hymns from the 1960s and 1970s, when the Sandinistas were a guerrilla group fighting to topple Nicaragua's decades-old Somoza-family political dynasty. — Glenn Garvin, miamiherald, "Rally for embattled Nicaraguan president shows he still has lots of support," 30 Apr. 2018 During the events, people sang hymns and placed flowers at the fallen fighters' graves. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "When Is Memorial Day? Here's What You Need to Know About the Observance," 1 Mar. 2019 Others attend a service based on the seven last words (or direct quotes) of Jesus with readings of Bible passages, a sermon, prayers and hymns. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Country Living, "What Is Good Friday and Why Do We Celebrate It?," 22 Feb. 2019 In 1956, Chess Records, which had been recording Rev. Franklin’s sermons, released an album of Aretha, then 14 years old, singing nine gospel hymns. — Constance Grady, Vox, "Aretha Franklin, the legendary Queen of Soul, is dead at 76," 16 Aug. 2018 But Kensington Palace was not singing from the same hymn sheet, and that was because the message was coming from Meghan. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Meghan Markle Is Taking a Firm Stance on How to Deal with Her Dad's Behavior," 20 Dec. 2018 Some people on Twitter, however, weren't as supportive of her take on the hymn. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "'The Voice' Star Sarah Grace Sparks Controversy with Soulful Cover of 'Amazing Grace'," 4 Dec. 2018 No one knows how many of the roughly 10,000 Shaker hymns have echoed off these walls. — Patricia Harris And David Lyon, BostonGlobe.com, "Goin’ up the country: The rustic appeal of Maine’s Route 26," 21 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

But the wounds sustained and inflicted by cheating hearts, so often hymned by Nashville balladeers, are a specialty of Mr. Lonergan. — Ben Brantley, New York Times, "Shame and Guilt Drives Several New Productions, Which Is Good for Us," 18 Feb. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hymn.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.