honor
gb/ˈɑnɚ/ us/ˈɑnɚ/
A2
English
~ 4200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
High moral standards and respect
A good and honest way of living that makes people respect you.
Usage pattern:
[someone's] honor
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'honor' with 'award'; 'honor' here means moral goodness, not a prize.
Synonyms
integrity (Emphasizes honesty and strong moral principles, often in a broader sense.)
Antonyms
dishonor (Refers to loss of respect or disgrace due to bad actions.)
Collocations
act with honor
|defend one's honor
|bring honor
|lose honor
|code of honor
Themes
values
|ethics
|character
|core_vocabulary
|relationships
Examples
- She acted with honor throughout her career.
- He refused to cheat because it would go against his honor.
- The soldier fought bravely to defend his country's honor.
- Her honesty brought great honor to her family.
- They lived by a strict code of honor.
Learner examples
- He always acts with honor.
- She wants to bring honor to her school.
- The man lost his honor after lying.
- People respect him for his honor.
Noun
A2
entity
2
Public praise or award
When people show respect or give a prize to someone for something good they did.
Usage pattern:
an honor to [do something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'honor' as praise with 'honor' as moral quality; context determines meaning.
Synonyms
award (Often refers specifically to a prize or formal recognition.)
Antonyms
insult (An action or remark that shows disrespect instead of recognition.)
Collocations
receive an honor
|win an honor
|bestow an honor
|great honor
|highest honor
Themes
awards
|ceremony
|recognition
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It was a great honor to receive the award from the president.
- She was given the highest honor for her service.
- The city bestowed an honor on the famous writer.
- Winning the championship was the greatest honor of his career.
- He felt honored to be invited.
Learner examples
- It is an honor to meet you.
- She won an honor for her work.
- They gave him an honor for saving a life.
Verb
A2
action
3
Show great respect
To show that you respect someone or something very much.
Usage pattern:
to honor [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'honor' with 'invite' in ceremonial contexts; it means to show respect, not just invite.
Synonyms
respect (A general word for showing regard; 'honor' can imply formal or ceremonial respect.)
Antonyms
disrespect (To show lack of respect toward someone or something.)
Collocations
honor a promise
|honor an agreement
|honor the memory of
|honor a guest
Themes
respect
|relationships
|ceremony
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We are here today to honor our veterans.
- The school honored the teacher for 30 years of service.
- They honored their parents by following their advice.
- He honored his promise to help her.
- The community held a ceremony to honor the fallen soldiers.
Learner examples
- We honor our parents every day.
- The city will honor the hero.
- She honored her teacher with kind words.
Verb
B1
action
4
Fulfill agreement or payment
To do what you said you would do, or to pay what you promised to pay.
Usage pattern:
to honor [a promise/agreement/payment]
Synonyms
fulfill (General term for carrying out a duty or promise; 'honor' can imply moral obligation.)
Antonyms
break (To fail to keep a promise or agreement.)
Collocations
honor a contract
|honor a debt
|honor a commitment
Themes
business
|law
|trust
|finance
Examples
- The company will honor all existing contracts.
- He honored his debt by paying on time.
- They honored the warranty without question.
- She honored her commitment to volunteer every weekend.
Learner examples
- I will honor my promise to you.
- They honored the deal we made.
- He honored his payment on time.
Grammar
Dictionary form
honor
IPA
GB/ˈɑnɚ/
US/ˈɑnɚ/
Syllables & stress
hon - or (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (hon)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: honor
- Variant Spelling: honour
- Plural: honor, honors
Verb
- Base: honor
- Variant Spelling: honour
- 3rd Person Singular: honors
- Present Participle: honoring
- Past: honored
Word family
Forms
Core family
honorable
adjective B1
honorably
adverb
Related words
honorary
adjective C1
honoree
noun
Negative and opposite forms
dishonor
noun
dishonorable
adjective
dishonorably
adverb
Advanced or less common
honorific
adjective
honorarium
noun
Highlights
- Spelling Variant: honour Verb
- Spelling Variant: honour Noun
Expressions
do someone the honor
3/dˈu sˈʌmwˌʌn ðə ˈɑnɚ/
fixed phrase
Politely give privilege of doing something
To politely ask someone to do something special for you, showing respect.
Examples
- Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?
- May I do you the honor of introducing our guest?
in honor of
1/ˈɪn ˈɑnɚ əv/
fixed phrase
As a sign of respect for someone/something
To show respect for someone or something, often in a ceremony or event.
Examples
- They held a dinner in honor of the retiring professor.
- The bridge was named in honor of the war hero.
place of honor
2/plˈeɪs əv ˈɑnɚ/
fixed phrase
Most important respected position
The most important position at an event, given as a mark of respect.
Examples
- His photograph was given the place of honor in the hall.
- The guest of honor sat in the place of honor at the table.
guest of honor
1/ɡˈɛst əv ˈɑnɚ/
fixed phrase
Main celebrated person at event
The most important person at an event, who is being celebrated or honored.
Examples
- She was the guest of honor at the charity dinner.
- The guest of honor gave a short speech at the banquet.
- The mayor will be our guest of honor tonight.
- She was the guest of honor at her retirement party.