as in halfpenny
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 kenning
Jonah Walters, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2024
The kenning’s true meaning lies beyond the edges of my comprehension.
—Jonah Walters, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2024
My favorite parts of the book are those where there's a new kenning.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 Apr. 2023
Most of the writers attempting to imitate Tolkien weren’t steeped in the rhythm of Old English kennings, or the spiritual yearning of chivalric romance.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2023
Weinersmith has successfully captured the spirit of this timeless story, weaving in generous amounts of alliteration and his version of Old English kennings, a compound figure of speech that replaces a common noun with two or more words that make for a more figurative than literal description.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 Apr. 2023
Noun
This is a kenning that evokes a natural transition to darkness and also an unfinished human endeavor.
—Jonah Walters, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2024
The kenning’s true meaning lies beyond the edges of my comprehension.
—Jonah Walters, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2024
My favorite parts of the book are those where there's a new kenning.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 Apr. 2023
Most of the writers attempting to imitate Tolkien weren’t steeped in the rhythm of Old English kennings, or the spiritual yearning of chivalric romance.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2023
Weinersmith has successfully captured the spirit of this timeless story, weaving in generous amounts of alliteration and his version of Old English kennings, a compound figure of speech that replaces a common noun with two or more words that make for a more figurative than literal description.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kenning
Noun
-
Indeed, in 2023, his music earned him just shy of $200,000, about one halfpenny at a time.—
Brett Martin,
New York Times,
31 Mar. 2024
-
In nineteenth-century England, tailors would place old halfpennies in the pockets of a man’s new suit for good luck.—
Hua Hsu,
The New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2023
Noun
-
Retail therapy glints at Luxury Plaza: think OMEGA watches, fine jewellery, and a whisper of indulgence.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
These rules were administered via cold shoulders and whispers.—
Alessandra Schade,
Time,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
These active hunters, rather than passively perceiving their environment, require sharper vision to locate and capture prey.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2025
-
However, perceiving the existence of Assyrians in Iraq as stable is a grave misunderstanding.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Weapon art: Gather motes of flame to swirl around in a ring.—
Oliver Brandt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Aug. 2025
-
That’s a lot of hardware and software smarts packed into a tiny chip that might be just one of hundreds of motes affixed to pallets across an entire warehouse.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
He was attached to the ultra-secret Manhattan Project, ordered by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1942 with scientists developing two designs of atom bombs that contained explosive power equal to 15,000 to 22,000 tons of TNT.—
David Perlmutt,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Aug. 2025
-
This fuzziness refers to the quantum fuzziness that surrounds an atom's exact position, as per the uncertainty principle.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
31 July 2025
Noun
-
After 40 minutes, his energy hasn’t flagged a whit.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
2 July 2025
-
Nevertheless, the basic design of commercial nuclear power reactors has changed not a whit.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 July 2010
Verb
-
Swim in a direction following the shoreline.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Apr. 2025
-
What To Know For years following the Great Recession, the country built much fewer homes than needed.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
His early passion was athletics: Cunha, taller than average from day dot, dominated the 50-metre dash and long jump in local competitions.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
8 Aug. 2025
-
The event saw the former MVP coach and mentor service members in football drills such as the 40-yard dash, broad jump, three-cone shuttle, receiving gauntlet and the QB arm challenge.—
DJ Siddiqi,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kenning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kenning. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share