paean

American  

[pee-uhn] / ˈpi ən /

Or pean

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.

3. 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.

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

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paean British  

/ ˈpiːən /

noun

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

2. any song of praise

3. enthusiastic praise

   the film received a paean from the critics

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Other Word Forms

• paeanism
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of paean

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”

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Explanation

A paean is a hymn of praise or thanksgiving. You might sing a paean in church, where many hymns extol the greatness of God. Paean was originally a song of praise for Apollo, or Paian as he was sometimes called. You can now use paean to mean any song of praise, regardless of the deity, or to mean a formal expression of praise, like a eulogy. At your mother's birthday dinner, it might be nice for you and your brothers and sisters to write and sing a paean to her good-natured love and support of you over many years.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

paean

I wrote what I thought was the most epic love paean of all time called “Love Lasts Forever.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

His prose is energetic, occasionally overexuberant — and, above all, a paean to Capra’s enduring importance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

DUBAI—Hamam al-Hammami, identified by people familiar with the matter as the co-pilot on FlyDubai Flight 1073, posted a paean to flying in a now-deleted social-media post from June 2022 written in Arabic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

It’s a wistful, country-folk paean that offers both a wry yet realistic assessment of the disposition of collections someone leaves the planet.

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026

At the mouth of the Borysthenes, Achilles has been espied by mariners, who were sailing past his isle, careering along with his yellow locks and arms of gold, and singing his paean of battle.

From Roman Society from Nero to Marcus Aurelius by Samuel Dill

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Related Words

• hymn

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