honed

American  

[hohnd] / hoʊnd /

adjective

1. sharpened on a hone or whetstone.

   Our julienne peeler has 12 honed blades for superfine cuts that will make your julienne vegetables look like a restaurant’s.

2. made more acute or effective; improved or perfected.

   We finish our degrees with highly desirable, finely honed skills, including how to research, how to work hard, and how to think critically.

3. (of a hole) enlarged with a hone.

   When it comes to the barrel of this rifle, the diameter uniformity and roundness of the honed bore are superb.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of hone.

Etymology

Origin of honed

hone ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

honed

The trio honed an aesthetic distinct from neighboring Chicago’s emerging style of house music, stripping out vintage soul for chillier, futuristic productions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

But Stewart’s gravitas, honed over many years of British stage performance, made Picard the show’s gravitational center, and he was proud of that.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026

Fielder is well-known to comedy fans for his docuseries “The Rehearsal” and “Nathan for You,” where he honed his brand of awkward absurdity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

Giroud honed his ability to make a late impact at Arsenal and Chelsea, making 103 substitute appearances in total across 10 seasons in the Premier League.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Sedulously, he had once avoided the clusters of boys who haunted the locker rooms with their salient, knowledgeable talk in which his finely honed sense of morality denied him participation.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

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