homage
Americannoun
-
respect or reverence paid or rendered.
In his speech he paid homage to Washington and Jefferson.
- Antonyms:
- irreverence
-
the formal public acknowledgment by which a feudal tenant or vassal declared himself to be the man or vassal of his lord, owing him fealty and service.
-
the relation thus established of a vassal to his lord.
- Antonyms:
- disloyalty
-
something done or given in acknowledgment or consideration of the worth of another.
a Festschrift presented as an homage to a great teacher.
noun
-
a public show of respect or honour towards someone or something (esp in the phrases pay or do homage to )
-
-
the act of respect and allegiance made by a vassal to his lord See also fealty
-
something done in acknowledgment of vassalage
-
verb
Etymology
Origin of homage
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (h)omage, from Old French, equivalent to (h)ome “man” (from Latin hominem, accusative of homō; see Homo) + -age -age
Explanation
Homage means great respect and honor, or something done to honor a person or thing. We pay homage to our ancestors and say prayers in homage to their memory. In Middle English, homage specifically referred to respect for and loyalty to a feudal lord. The word was borrowed from Old French, probably from omne, homme "man," from Latin homō. The noun suffix –age is used to mean "an action, process, result, or state."
Vocabulary lists containing homage
A Christmas Carol
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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
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GRE Verbal Reasoning, List 1
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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.
The boost to local business has no doubt helped encourage enthusiasm for the show and its many viewers who travel to the community to pay homage to it.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
The Sparks paid homage to DeLisha Milton-Jones by retiring her No. 8 jersey at halftime of a loss to the New York Liberty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
Australian artist Delta Goodrem will perform a homage to Scotland at the closing ceremony 20 years after she sang in Melbourne 2006.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
He sank the horse in sand past its haunches as a cinematic homage: “My inspiration was really the Statue of Liberty at the end of the original ‘Planet of the Apes,’ ” the director said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
It was noble that the scythes saw fit to pay homage to the gleaned, but if they only had twelve hours to complete three months worth of business, she didn’t see the sense of it.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
