hypocorism

noun

Definition of hypocorismnext
as in family name

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hypocorism Someone named the fog Karl, but none of our other weather gets a hypocorism. — Kevin Fisher-Paulson, SFChronicle.com, 29 Sep. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hypocorism
  1. family name
  2. maiden name
  3. pen name
  4. sobriquet
  5. middle name
  6. nom de plume
  7. nickname
  8. diminutive
Noun
  • Toyota What began as a machine manufacturing company bearing the founder’s family name is now one of the most recognizable names in the global automobile industry.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 July 2026
  • To defile the legacy of his family and that family name is sickening, and turns my stomach.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 16 July 2026
Definition of family name
Noun
  • Her roots in northwest Missouri run deep, as Mozingo Lake in Nodoway County carries her maiden name.
    — Sophie Lindberg July 27, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
  • Born Brandon Feakins, the 1923 actor now uses his mother’s maiden name.
    — Jodi Guglielmi, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
Definition of maiden name
Noun
  • Writers who used to hide their masculinist impulses behind a pen name now write and say outrageous things under their real name.
    — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
  • Concerned about the influx of solar and wind farms being built in Sardinia by outsiders, Roberto Pusceddu, under his pen name Erre Push, published a graphic novel that aimed to inspire young people to resist such impositions.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026
Definition of pen name
Noun
  • Enough to quickly merit a sobriquet calling her the richest Black girl in America.
    — Dan Kelly June 16, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
  • Presumably the same sobriquet might apply to many other countries.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Definition of sobriquet
Noun
  • Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’s daughter Suri Noelle—who dropped her estranged dad’s last name in favor of her mom’s middle name—might look like a carbon copy of her famous parents.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 23 July 2026
  • Varela said a customer service representative refused to help fix an issue with his daughter’s ticket, which had incorrectly listed her last name as her middle name due to an error his wife accidentally made when booking the flight a few months ago.
    — Thom Jensen, NBC news, 20 July 2026
Definition of middle name
Noun
  • There was the use of nom de plume when a reporter was concerned about retribution for news content, but many reports identified sources for information so that readers at least understood whether to believe the story.
    — Shannon E. Martin, Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 Apr. 2026
  • In person, the author Freida McFadden (her nom de plume) has a sweet, shy demeanor—but don’t be fooled.
    — E.L. James, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
Definition of nom de plume
Noun
  • Enter coconut-milk nails, the internet’s new nickname for a wash of sheer white.
    — Jeanne Ballion, Vogue, 25 July 2026
  • From Cabo Verde’s heroic journey led by a 40-year-old goalie with a nickname honoring his grandmother, to the spontaneous happiness from the Scottish Tartan Army, to the contagious passion from Argentine fans, micro stories moved millions of people.
    — Isaac Mizrahi, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of nickname
Noun
  • The more common nickname, El Mencho, is said to be a diminutive of his first name, Nemesio.
    — Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Another gender-neutral name that had a burst of popularity in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Jamie was a go-to for girls or a diminutive of James for boys.
    — Kara Nesvig, Parents, 20 Feb. 2026
Definition of diminutive

Browse Nearby Words

hypochondriacs
hypocorism
hypocorisms
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Cite this Entry

“Hypocorism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hypocorism. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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