hymn

1 of 2

noun

ˈhim 

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

ˈhim-ˌlīk 

adjective

hymn

2 of 2

verb

hymned ˈhimd  ; hymning ˈhi-miŋ 

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

Synonyms of hymn

Noun

• anthem
• psalm

Verb

• praise
• celebrate
• bless

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

One of six children, Tyler grew up idolizing Tina Turner and Janis Joplin and singing hymns in the Anglican church her parents attended. — Adela Suliman, NBC news, 9 July 2026

On this particular afternoon, worship began with an opening hymn that Brown led from the back, a one-woman choir. — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026

Verb

Happiness, as hymned in these renditions, would never be won easily. — Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

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

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1667, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for hymn

• brim
• clim
• dim
• grim
• gym
• him
• im
• limb
• mim
• prim
• rim
• scrim

Kids Definition

hymn

noun

ˈhim

1

: a song of praise especially to God

2

: a religious song