hymn

noun \ ˈhim \

Definition of hymn

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

play \ˈhim-ˌlīk\ adjective

See hymn defined for English-language learners

See hymn defined for kids

Examples of hymn in a Sentence

sing a hymn of praise
our Sunday church services always open with a hymn

Recent Examples of hymn from the Web

A group stood in a circle, hands uplifted, singing hymns.

— sarah rankin, The Christian Science Monitor, "Diverse opposition to white nationalist rally in Charlottesville," 14 Aug. 2017
While everyone was singing hymns, some canvas art was drying on the patio in the sun.

— patty hastings, The Seattle Times, "Day center helps seniors gracefully age at home," 12 Aug. 2017
Bentley Mulsanne is a battle hymn of tradition and stoic provenance — a hands-off, stop-and-stare occurrence, but with hands-on drivability.

— mark maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "2017 Bentley Mulsanne: A battle hymn of tradition and stoic provenance," 11 Aug. 2017
Her second project was a sign with lyrics from a popular Christian hymn painted on, made from leftover wood from the bar.

— emily bloch, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Entrepreneur runs trendy wood-painting business," 24 July 2017
Inside, members of the Winton Wyoming Pastoral Region sang hymns.

— sarah brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "'We all have a hole in our heart': Parish mourns the loss of Rev. Chris Coleman," 19 July 2017
Rodeheaver, who composed popular hymns, normally worked alongside powerhouse evangelist Billy Sunday, who had led a gospel crusade in Baltimore the year before.

— jacques kelly, baltimoresun.com, "A 150-year-old camp-meeting site provides a summertime sanctuary," 14 July 2017
His habitual thought makes all his poetry a hymn to the Cause of causes, the Spirit which vivifies and controls his own.

— rosa inocencio smith, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic Daily: High-Stakes Hearing," 12 July 2017
As the final hymn rang out through the quiet neighborhood, parishioners exited the building tearfully.

— kathleen mcwilliams, courant.com, "Tears, Memories At St. Bernard's Final Regular Mass In Tariffville," 25 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of hymn

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

hymn Synonyms

Synonyms

anthem, canticle, carol, chorale, psalm, spiritual

Related Words

dirge, lament, requiem, threnody; Gloria Patri, hallelujah, paean; mass, oratorio; processional, recessional

Near Antonyms

censure, condemnation, denunciation, indictment, rebuke, reprimand, reproof; admonition, correction, harangue, lecture, sermon

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

hymn

verb

Definition of hymn

hymned play \ˈhimd\; hymning play \ˈhi-miŋ\

transitive verb

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

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

Examples of hymn in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of hymn from the Web

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

Origin and Etymology of hymn

see ¹hymn

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1667

See Words from the same year

hymn Synonyms

Synonyms

bless, carol, celebrate, emblazon, exalt, extol (also extoll), glorify, praise, laud, magnify, resound

Related Words

adore, belaud, deify, idolize, worship; acclaim, applaud, commend, compliment, hail, renown, salute; chant, cheer, eulogize, rhapsodize; cite; flatter; crack up, recommend, tout

Near Antonyms

blame, censure, reprehend, reprobate; criticize, reprove; admonish, chide, keelhaul, rebuke, reprimand, reproach; castigate, lambaste (or lambast)

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

HYMN Defined for English Language Learners

hymn

noun

Definition of hymn for English Language Learners

: a religious song : a song that praises God

HYMN Defined for Kids

hymn

noun \ ˈhim \

Definition of hymn for Students

:a song of praise especially to God

Learn More about hymn

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hymn Spanish Central: Translation of hymn Nglish: Translation of hymn for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of hymn for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hymn

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hymn

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Origin and Etymology of hymn

hymn Synonyms

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Related Words

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hymn

Definition of hymn

Examples of hymn in a Sentence

Recent Examples of hymn from the Web

Origin and Etymology of hymn

hymn Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Music Terms

HYMN Defined for English Language Learners

hymn

Definition of hymn for English Language Learners

HYMN Defined for Kids

hymn

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