Hymn

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /hɪm/

Definitions

1. A song or chant traditionally used in worship that conveys deep admiration or devotion
2. A sacred song or lyric meant to express reverence or adoration during spiritual ceremonies
3. A devotional composition sung to honor a deity or express religious feelings

Etymology: The Greek "húmnos" meant a song of praise, typically sung to a god or a hero, and the Romans took it over as "hymnus" with that same religious and celebratory sense. English first borrowed the idea through Old English "ymen," which entered the language early, and the spelling was later reshaped under the influence of Old French "ymne" in Middle English. That double route explains why the word looks more French than its Greek origin would suggest, even though it never passed through French as its main path. The word's staying power comes from the church. Latin hymns were central to Christian worship for centuries, so the Latin form carried a religious weight that the everyday Greek sense of praising gods and heroes never lost. English speakers ended up using "hymn" mainly for sacred songs, while the broader sense of any poem of praise survives in only a few contexts.

Synonyms: song, chant, psalm