Did you know?
According to the poet Homer, the Greek god Apollo sometimes took the guise of Paean, physician to the gods. The earliest musical paeans were hymns of thanksgiving and praise that were dedicated to Apollo. They were sung at events ranging from boisterous festivals to public funerals, and they were the traditional marching songs of armies heading into battle. Over time, the word became generalized, and it is now used for any kind of tribute.
Synonyms
Examples of paean in a Sentence
Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2024
Typically, these spots are beautifully produced paeans to ambition, effort, and excellence—Olympic ideals on sale for a popular audience.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2024
The last movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 includes a setting of a Friedrich Schiller poem, the Ode To Joy, which is an extended paean to love, brotherhood and belonging.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
There were no paeans to free trade or entitlement reform.
—W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for paean 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paean.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near paean
Cite this Entry
“Paean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paean. Accessed 7 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
paean
noun
Share