hone
gb/hˈoʊn/ us/hˈoʊn/
B2
English
csiszol, fen, fenőkő
VERB
B2
1
csiszol
B2
Usage pattern:
hone [a skill/ability/technique/message/plan]
She took extra classes to hone her presentation skills.
Külön órákra járt, hogy csiszolja az előadói készségeit.
The team spent weeks honing the proposal before sending it to the client.
A csapat heteken át csiszolgatta a javaslatot, mielőtt elküldte volna az ügyfélnek.
Daily practice helped him hone his timing and control.
Learner examples
I want to hone my English writing.
Szeretném csiszolni az angol íráskészségemet.
He honed his skills with practice.
Gyakorlással csiszolta a készségeit.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *hone* where *learn* or *train* is needed; *hone* usually implies you already have the skill and are improving it.
Meaning
Improve a skill or idea
Collocations
hone your skills
|hone your craft
|hone your technique
|hone your instincts
|hone your writing
|hone your message
|hone a plan
|hone an argument
|hone your focus
|hone your performance
Synonyms
refine (Emphasizes improving details and precision.)
|
polish (Suggests making something smoother and more professional.)
|
develop (Often broader and slower than hone.)
Antonyms
neglect (To fail to work on or improve something.)
|
worsen (To make the quality or effectiveness go down.)
Themes
education
|work
|personal_development
|communication
Definition
To make something better by practicing or improving details.
To improve a skill, method, or idea through practice, careful thought, and small adjustments.
VERB
C1
2
fen
B2
Usage pattern:
hone [a knife/blade/edge]
He honed the knife before carving the roast.
Megfente a kést, mielőtt felszeletelte a sültet.
The carpenter honed the chisel until it shaved cleanly.
Az asztalos addig fente a vésőt, amíg az már borotvaélesen vágott.
She honed the blade on a stone after each use.
Learner examples
He honed his knife.
Megfente a kését.
Please hone the blade before cooking.
Kérlek, főzés előtt fend meg a pengét.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse *hone* with *sharpen*; *hone* often suggests careful sharpening, especially with a stone.
Meaning
Sharpen a blade carefully
Collocations
hone a knife
|hone a blade
|hone an edge
|hone the blade on a stone
|hone a chisel
|hone a razor
|hone the cutting edge
|hone a tool
|hone with a honing stone
|hone to a sharp edge
Synonyms
sharpen (More general and common; does not imply a specific method.)
|
whet (Older-sounding; often used in set phrases.)
Antonyms
blunt (To make less sharp.)
|
dull (To reduce sharpness over time or by use.)
Themes
tools
|cooking
|crafts
Definition
To make a knife or tool sharp.
To sharpen the edge of a knife or tool, especially by rubbing it on a stone or similar surface.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
3
fenőkő
C1
Usage pattern:
a hone; use a hone
He kept a small hone in the drawer for touching up knives.
Egy kis fenőkövet tartott a fiókban a kések gyors utánélezéséhez.
A fine hone is useful for finishing the edge after grinding.
A finom fenőkő hasznos a köszörülés utáni végső élezéshez.
She chose a ceramic hone for her kitchen knives.
Learner examples
This hone is for sharpening knives.
Ez a fenőkő kések élezésére való.
Common mistake:
Because this noun is less common, learners often prefer the clearer term *whetstone* or *sharpening stone*.
Meaning
Stone for sharpening blades
Collocations
a honing stone
|a kitchen hone
|a fine hone
|a coarse hone
|use a hone
|oil the hone
|a razor hone
|a diamond hone
|a ceramic hone
|a sharpening hone
Synonyms
whetstone (The most common everyday term for the sharpening stone.)
|
sharpening stone (Plain, descriptive alternative.)
Themes
tools
|crafts
|cooking
Definition
A stone used to make knives sharp.
A stone or similar tool used for sharpening the edge of a blade.
Grammar
Dictionary form
hone
IPA
GB/hˈoʊn/
US/hˈoʊn/
Syllables & stress
hone (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (hone)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: hone
- Plural: hones
Verb
- Base: hone
- 3rd Person Singular: hones
- Present Participle: honing
- Past: honed
Word family
Forms
hones
noun
honing
verb
honed
verb
Negative and opposite forms
unhoned
adjective
Expressions
hone in on
1/hˈoʊn ˈɪn ˈɔn/
phrasal verb
Focus attention on something
To focus on one specific thing.
Examples
- Let’s hone in on the main issue before we discuss details.
- The report hones in on the causes of the price increase.
- She quickly honed in on the part of the contract that needed changing.
Learner examples
- We need to hone in on the problem.
hone to a fine point
1/hˈoʊn tə ə fˈaɪn pˈɔɪnt/
fixed phrase
Make extremely sharp or precise
To improve something until it is very sharp or very exact.
Examples
- Over time, she honed her argument to a fine point.
- The designer honed the concept to a fine point before the launch.
- He honed the blade to a fine point for detailed work.
Learner examples
- She honed her speech to a fine point.