honing

American  

[hoh-ning] / ˈhoʊ nɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of sharpening something on a hone or whetstone.

   The precision alignment of the cutting machine’s knife is not affected by the honing of the sharp edge.

2. the act or process of improving or perfecting a skill, program, idea, etc..

   In the third and fourth years the emphasis is on advanced training, with further honing of skills and attainment of competency.

---

adjective

1. serving to sharpen or perfect.

   It is always a honing experience for us to come here and answer your questions—we leave a little sharper than we were before.

Etymology

Origin of honing

First recorded in 1790–1800; hone ¹ + -ing ¹ for the noun senses; hone ¹ + -ing ² for the adjective sense

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

honing

The 19-year-old, sporting a budding beard, usually operates from home, filling lulls by watching the TV show Criminal Minds or honing his drone-flying skills on a simulator.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

She attended Manhattan’s Professional Performing Arts School and started honing her skills as a character actor from an early age.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

Ipsen, like many of its bigger rivals, sold its consumer-healthcare arm years ago, honing its focus on more lucrative—but also riskier—innovative specialty-care medicines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

Schools sharpen students’ thinking and research skills, he noted, but higher education hasn’t been as good at honing students’ applied skills — and for AI, that includes knowing when to responsibly use the technology.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026

Ser Jorah made a point of sharpening his sword each day, honing the point until it gleamed.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin