paean

noun

ˈpē-ən How to pronounce paean (audio)
Definition of paeannext
as in tribute
a formal expression of praise his retirement party featured many paeans for his long years of service to the company

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 paean His celebratory words marking its 250th anniversary included not only the traditional paeans to the Founders but also a dose of personal grievance, plus soaring praise for his own achievements. — Susan Page, USA Today, 5 July 2026 Alas, all those paeans to freedom have played out better in song than in real life. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026 Daily tales of war and violence around the world made one want to clench one’s fists, grit one’s teeth, and to shout out in a paean of outraged hysteria. — Zehra Jumabhoy, Artforum, 25 June 2026 The film, ostensibly started as a promotional tool, ends up being a paean to pop as a site of projection. — Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for paean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paean
  1. tribute
  2. commendation
  3. citation
  4. homage
Noun
  • But the love enduring at their center feels so profoundly misguided that even this extravagant tribute, arriving more than 150 years later, cannot entirely defend it.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
  • There’s a tribute to Kieślowski’s Dekalog at the end of this movie.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of tribute
Noun
  • The result was lines out the door, a local political commendation, and a business that converted attention into revenue in a way most post-villa deals never manage.
    — Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Some soldiers distinguished themselves by helping to render emergency trauma response and first aid to civilians, earning individual service commendations, according to the Arkansas National Guard.
    — Neal Earley, Arkansas Online, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of commendation
Noun
  • John Dempsey Hospital, Saint Francis Hospital and Griffin Hospital were issued citations, according to DPH.
    — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026
  • No one in the truck received a citation as a result of the stop, Lincoln-Goldfinch said.
    — María Luisa Paúl, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of citation
Noun
  • The event brought out a lineup that saw Carly Pearce, Jelly Roll, Parton's niece Jada Star, Molly Tuttle, Kathy Mattea, and other artists paying homage with performances of their own songs as well as hits from Parton's catalog.
    — KiMi Robinson, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Green’s vision weaves deep cuts referencing courtroom thrillers like Erin Brockovich and The Insider into a warm, silly homage to some of the finest, most enduring 2D animation of all time.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of homage

Browse Nearby Words

pads
paean
paeans
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Paean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paean. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on paean

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about paean

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All