hymn
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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a Christian song of praise sung to God or a saint
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a similar song praising other gods, a nation, etc
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have hymnedperfect
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has hymnedperfect 3rd person singular
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have been hymningperfect progressive
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has been hymningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am hymningprogressive 1st person singular
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are hymningprogressive
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hymningparticiple
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is hymningprogressive 3rd person singular
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hymnssingular 3rd person
Past
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had hymnedperfect
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had been hymningperfect progressive
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was hymningprogressive singular
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were hymningprogressive plural
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hymnedparticiple
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hymnedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of hymn
before 1000; < Latin hymnus < Greek hýmnos song in praise of gods or heroes; replacing Middle English ymne (< Old French ) and Old English ymn (< Late Latin ymnus )
Explanation
A hymn is a religious song, especially one praising God. People often sing hymns during church services. The word hymn comes from the Late Latin hymnus, "song of praise," and the Greek hymnos, "festive song in praise of gods or heroes." Though many people think of hymns as Christian, they're used in many other religions too, from ancient Greek hymns to deities, to Sikh hymns and Hindu hymns to many gods. What these songs have in common is giving thanks or praise to a god or gods.
Vocabulary lists containing hymn
Poetry: Genres
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Reading: Literature - Poetry - Middle School
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"Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." and "I Have a Dream"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So it makes sense that “The Lincoln Lawyer” is as big a hymn to the city as “Bosch.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
During the service, a video was broadcast of Jin and others singing a hymn adapted from a poem Bonhoeffer wrote shortly before his execution.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
The original plan was to wed in front of 150 guests and walk down the aisle to Calon Lân, a hymn her gran loved.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
Caedmon then miraculously composed the hymn, producing a carefully crafted poem praising God for creating the world.
From Science Daily • May 17, 2026
“America’s finest coming in the nick of time,” Ben shouted as his father hummed the Marine Corps hymn.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
