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.
Hull’s homage to Spirit was seen by more than 1 million people on the Points Guy’s Instagram account — and hundreds of commenters shared their own impromptu eulogies.
From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026
His three friends all went as other versions of Jackson, paying homage to his music videos or his turn as the Scarecrow in “The Wiz” movie.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
Ghanaian-Canadian artist Ekow Nimako’s extravagant Afro-futuristic Lego sculptures pay homage to the African continent’s varied histories and cultures, using a Danish-created product to center Black people and stories.
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026
Their home shirt pays homage to the '70s and features an embossed print inspired by daisies.
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
It was an unyielding homage to ancient Greece and Imperial Rome, the birthing grounds of civilization.
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.
