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
John Dryden3
: something resembling a song of praise : paean
The novel is a hymn to childhood and innocence.
: to praise or worship in or as if in hymns (see hymn entry 1)
the heroes who are hymned in this book
: to sing a song that praises God : to sing a hymn
listening to the choir hymn
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
Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today, 17 June 2025
The English cook and writer’s 2006 book is a heartfelt hymn for wonderful food and flavors, without hours spent toiling in the kitchen or overly formal settings.
—Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 7 June 2025
Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023
His own work reflects a lifelong love of reading in many genres, and his books brim with the testimonies of poets, artists, and mystics who hymn the delights of sentience.
—Nick Romeo, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for hymn
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Noun
Some family members called Obama's presence days later at a funeral service and his rendition of the hymn a poignant moment as the country grappled with the horror of people gunned down in church.
—Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today, 17 June 2025
The English cook and writer’s 2006 book is a heartfelt hymn for wonderful food and flavors, without hours spent toiling in the kitchen or overly formal settings.
—Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 7 June 2025
Verb
Holst leaves the listener in the far removes of outer space, with Neptune being a study in musical mysticism, highlighted by a hidden hymning women’s chorus, as if heard from a mysterious distance.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023
His own work reflects a lifelong love of reading in many genres, and his books brim with the testimonies of poets, artists, and mystics who hymn the delights of sentience.
—Nick Romeo, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for hymn
Cite this Entry
“Hymn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hymn. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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