honeymoon
gb/hˈʌnimˌun/ us/hˈʌnimˌun/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
event
1
Trip after getting married
A holiday that people take after they get married.
Usage pattern:
go on (a) honeymoon (to [place])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes treat it as a single word for the couple (“the honeymoon”) rather than the trip; it most often refers to the vacation or time after the wedding.
Synonyms
wedding trip (More explicit about the wedding; less common than honeymoon.)
|
bridal trip (Less common and more old-fashioned-sounding in modern English.)
Collocations
go on a honeymoon
|take a honeymoon
|honeymoon trip
|honeymoon vacation
|honeymoon destination
|honeymoon in [place]
|honeymoon abroad
|romantic honeymoon
|dream honeymoon
|honeymoon plans
Themes
relationships
|travel
|life_events
Examples
- They went to Italy for their honeymoon.
- We’re saving money now so we can take a long honeymoon next summer.
- After the wedding, they spent a week on their honeymoon by the sea.
Learner examples
- We went on our honeymoon in Japan.
- Their honeymoon was very relaxing.
Noun
B2
state
2
Early happy period in something
The first time of something new, when everything feels good and easy.
Usage pattern:
the honeymoon (period/phase) (with [someone/something])
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse it for any happy time; it usually means the early stage before difficulties appear.
Synonyms
golden period (Suggests a generally best time, not specifically the early stage.)
|
initial glow (More poetic; focuses on feelings rather than a whole period.)
Antonyms
rough patch (A difficult period that contrasts with the easy early stage.)
|
cooling-off period (A period of reduced enthusiasm after an initial peak.)
Collocations
honeymoon period
|honeymoon phase
|political honeymoon
|the honeymoon ends
|a brief honeymoon
|a short honeymoon
|the honeymoon didn’t last
|enjoy the honeymoon
|still in the honeymoon phase
|post-honeymoon period
Themes
emotions
|work
|relationships
Examples
- The honeymoon with the new manager didn’t last long.
- In the first few weeks of the project, we were in a honeymoon phase and everyone was optimistic.
- The team’s honeymoon period ended when the deadlines started piling up.
Learner examples
- The honeymoon period at my new job was fun.
- After a few months, the honeymoon ended.
Verb
B2
action
3
Take a honeymoon trip
To go on a honeymoon trip.
Usage pattern:
honeymoon (in [place])
Common mistake:
Less common than the noun; learners often sound more natural with go on a honeymoon or take a honeymoon.
Synonyms
vacation (Much broader; not specifically after a wedding.)
Collocations
honeymoon in [place]
|honeymoon abroad
|honeymoon together
|honeymoon for a week
|honeymoon on an island
Themes
relationships
|travel
|life_events
Examples
- They honeymooned in Greece for two weeks.
- We’re honeymooning in Bali right after the ceremony.
- The couple honeymooned on a small island off the coast.
Learner examples
- They honeymooned in Spain.
- We will honeymoon in June.
Grammar
Dictionary form
honeymoon
IPA
GB/hˈʌnimˌun/
US/hˈʌnimˌun/
Syllables & stress
hon - ey - moon (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (hon)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: honeymoon
- Plural: honeymoons
Verb
- Base: honeymoon
- 3rd Person Singular: honeymoons
- Present Participle: honeymooning
- Past: honeymooned
Word family
Forms
honeymoons
noun
honeymooning
verb
honeymooned
verb
Related words
honeymooner
noun
Expressions
honeymoon suite
1/hˈʌnimˌun swˈit/
fixed phrase
Hotel room for newlyweds
A special hotel room for a couple on their honeymoon.
Examples
- They booked the honeymoon suite for their first night as a married couple.
- The hotel upgraded us to the honeymoon suite.
- The honeymoon suite has a balcony and a large bathtub.
second honeymoon
1/sˈɛkənd hˈʌnimˌun/
fixed phrase
Romantic trip later in marriage
A romantic holiday for a couple after many years of marriage.
Examples
- For their 25th anniversary, they took a second honeymoon in Paris.
- After the kids left home, they planned a second honeymoon.
- They called the weekend trip their second honeymoon.
the honeymoon is over
1/ðə hˈʌnimˌun ˈɪz ˈoʊvɚ/
idiom
Easy beginning has ended
The first easy, happy time has ended.
Examples
- Now that the honeymoon is over, the new government is facing criticism.
- The honeymoon is over at my new job—deadlines are coming fast.
- Once the honeymoon was over, they had to deal with everyday problems.