paean

or pe·an

[ pee-uhn ]
See synonyms for paean on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a song of praise, joy, or triumph.

  2. a formal expression of high praise, as a poem, movie, or monument: This documentary is another paean to the mystical power and beauty of the ocean.

  1. an elaborate or excessive expression of praise; panegyric: His restaurant review is just a long and not very interesting paean to his favorite ethnic cuisine.

  2. a hymn of invocation or thanksgiving to Apollo or some other ancient Greek deity.

Origin of paean

1
First recorded in 1585–95; from Latin Paeān, Paeōn “a Greek god, especially Apollo in his capacity as healer; a religious or festive hymn, addressed to Apollo or another god,” from Greek Paiā́n, Paiḗōn, Paiṓn “choral song, hymn, especially to Apollo,” personified as “the divine physician, Apollo”

Other words from paean

  • pae·an·ism, noun

Words that may be confused with paean

Words Nearby paean

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use paean in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for paean

paean

sometimes US pean

/ (ˈpiːən) /


noun
  1. a hymn sung in ancient Greece in invocation of or thanksgiving to a deity

  2. any song of praise

  1. enthusiastic praise: the film received a paean from the critics

Origin of paean

1
C16: via Latin from Greek paiān hymn to Apollo, from his title Paiān, denoting the physician of the gods

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012