hymn

1 of 2

noun

ˈhim 

1

a

: a song of praise to God

sing a hymn of thanksgiving

b

: a metrical composition adapted for singing in a religious service

a book of hymns

2

: a song of praise or joy

in jolly hymns they praise the god of wine

—John Dryden

3

: something resembling a song of praise : paean

The novel is a hymn to childhood and innocence.

hymnlike

ˈhim-ˌlīk 

adjective

hymn

2 of 2

verb

hymned ˈhimd  ; hymning ˈhi-miŋ 

transitive verb

: to praise or worship in or as if in hymns (see hymn entry 1)

the heroes who are hymned in this book

intransitive verb

: to sing a song that praises God : to sing a hymn

listening to the choir hymn

Synonyms

Noun

• anthem
• canticle
• carol
• chorale
• psalm
• spiritual

Verb

• bless
• carol
• celebrate
• emblazon
• exalt
• extol
• extoll
• glorify
• laud
• magnify
• praise
• resound

Examples of hymn in a Sentence

Noun

sing a hymn of praise

our Sunday church services always open with a hymn

Verb

during the honeymoon following the inauguration, newspaper articles seemed to hymn the president's every move

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In 1947, Ives’s Third Symphony, a stately mashup of Christian hymns, won him a Pulitzer Prize. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024

No Bible readings, hymns about love and support and nature but not God. —R. Eric Thomas, The Denver Post, 31 Oct. 2024

Verb

Holst leaves the listener in the far removes of outer space, with Neptune being a study in musical mysticism, highlighted by a hidden hymning women’s chorus, as if heard from a mysterious distance. —Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023

His own work reflects a lifelong love of reading in many genres, and his books brim with the testimonies of poets, artists, and mystics who hymn the delights of sentience. —Nick Romeo, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English ymne, from Old English ymen, from Latin hymnus song of praise, from Greek hymnos

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1667, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

hymn

noun

ˈhim

1

: a song of praise especially to God

2

: a religious song