1
as in sermon
a public speech usually by a member of the clergy for the purpose of giving moral guidance or uplift
last Sunday's homily was about being kind to your neighbors
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in platitude
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
a TV movie filled with the usual hokey homilies about people triumphing over life's adversities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of homily
The funeral itself was a sober affair, with Abbot Placid Solari — a Benedictine monk, Abbot of Belmont Abbey and Chancellor of Belmont Abbey College — providing the homily.
—
Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 2025
Gomez addressed the burden of fear and anxiety caused by immigration enforcement during the homily.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025
In the movie Conclave, Cardinal Lawrence (played by Ralph Fiennes) delivers a homily to begin the ancient process of picking a new Pope.
—Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
In his fiery homilies, the Monsignor seems to target one new congregation member per week, pushing for the victory of a walkout.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for homily
Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 2025
Gomez addressed the burden of fear and anxiety caused by immigration enforcement during the homily.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025
In the movie Conclave, Cardinal Lawrence (played by Ralph Fiennes) delivers a homily to begin the ancient process of picking a new Pope.
—Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
In his fiery homilies, the Monsignor seems to target one new congregation member per week, pushing for the victory of a walkout.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for homily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for homily
Noun
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Yet this would be his last sermon as senior pastor of Highland Park United Methodist Church.—
Sarah Bahari,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Feb. 2026
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The pulpit where sermons were preached looked like an abstract disaster.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Google is famous for dodging questions by reciting platitudes on its calls.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
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Too often, sustainability messaging swings between vague platitudes and overwhelming detail.—
Jeff Fromm,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Despite their clear affection for these women, the Dardenne brothers never sugarcoat their characters’ unenviable circumstance or latch onto phony bromides to alleviate our anxiety.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2026
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Doping the Undopable The work focuses on cesium lead bromide nanoparticles known as CsPbBr3.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The film is a harrowing look at the banality of evil in its most dangerous form.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
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Openness comes from these encounters with banality and consistency.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The Redhawks kept things interesting again, surviving 86-84 against Massachusetts, but hey, better to win ugly than lose pretty, as the saying goes.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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Work With a Partner Ultimately, the easiest way to paint faster is to have more than one person working on the job—as the saying goes, many hands make light work.—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Warfare Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is an admirable attempt to counter the truism that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie — that all war movies, however gruesome or wrenching, effectively (and often unwittingly) wind up glamorizing combat to some degree.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
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Kemp does warn his readers to be skeptical of truisms about the nature of history and the odds of apocalypse.—
Linda Kinstler,
The Atlantic,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
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And there’s a proverb, this idea of the secret of getting old.—
Renée Onque,
CNBC,
26 Nov. 2025
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For nine months, Erasmus spent his short nights in a modest dorm and his long days in the print shop, expanding on his collection of proverbs Adagiorum chiliades while Aldus proofread, craftsman carefully laying sets of print and rolling paper through the press.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Before every artful-minded modern horror film became about grief and trauma, The Babadook explored these themes with authenticity, deftly weaving in Amelia's grief over the loss of her husband and her inability to control her son with traditional horror tropes.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
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The duet is unabashedly sappy, its lyrics full of period-perfect, flowery Medieval revivalism tropes.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Homily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/homily. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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