honour
gb/ˈɑnɚ/ us/ˈɑnɚ/
B1
English
~ 2600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
High respect or esteem
A feeling of great respect for someone because they are good or have done something good.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is held in honour
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'honour' with 'honorary', which means holding a title without the usual duties.
Synonyms
respect (A broad term for positive regard; 'honour' often suggests higher esteem or moral worth.)
|
esteem (Similar in meaning but often more personal and less formal than 'honour'.)
Antonyms
disrespect (The opposite feeling or treatment, showing lack of regard.)
|
dishonour (Loss of respect or damage to one's reputation.)
Collocations
bring honour
|a matter of honour
|hold in honour
|lose honour
|win honour
Themes
emotions
|society
|values
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The soldier was awarded a medal of honour for his bravery.
- She felt it was a great honour to meet the president.
- The championship win brought honour to the whole team.
Learner examples
- It is an honour to meet you.
- He brought honour to his family.
- The school gave her an award of honour.
Verb
formal
B1
action
2
Show great respect to
To show that you think someone or something is important and deserves respect.
Usage pattern:
to honour [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'honour' (verb) with 'celebrate', which is less about respect and more about enjoyment.
Synonyms
respect (A general term; 'honour' suggests a more formal or ceremonial respect.)
|
revere (Stronger than 'honour', implying deep admiration and almost worship.)
Antonyms
insult (To speak or act in a way that shows no respect.)
|
dishonour (To treat without the respect that is due, often bringing shame.)
Collocations
honour a promise
|honour the dead
|honour an agreement
|honour a guest
Themes
emotions
|society
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We are gathered here today to honour the memory of those who died.
- The city will honour the firefighters with a parade.
- She honoured her teacher by dedicating her book to him.
Learner examples
- They honoured the winners with a party.
- We honour our parents on this day.
- The school honoured the best student.
Noun
B2
entity
3
Reputation for honesty and morality
The good opinion people have of someone because they are honest and do the right thing.
Synonyms
integrity (Focuses more on moral principles; 'honour' also includes social perception.)
|
reputation ('Honour' often implies a moral dimension beyond just what people think.)
Antonyms
shame (A loss of respect due to bad behaviour.)
|
dishonour (Loss or damage to one's good name.)
Collocations
defend one's honour
|a question of honour
|lose one's honour
Themes
values
|morality
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He would never lie; his honour means too much to him.
- She felt her family's honour was at stake.
- They fought to protect their honour.
Learner examples
- He kept his honour by telling the truth.
- Her honour was important to her family.
- They worked hard to keep their honour.
Verb
formal
B2
action
4
Fulfil a promise or agreement
To do what you said you would do or what an agreement says you must do.
Usage pattern:
to honour [a promise/agreement]
Synonyms
fulfil ('Honour' adds a sense of moral duty compared to the neutral 'fulfil'.)
|
keep ('Keep' is more informal; 'honour' is more formal and moral in tone.)
Antonyms
break (Fail to do what was promised.)
|
renege (Formally go back on a promise or agreement.)
Collocations
honour a contract
|honour one's word
|honour an obligation
Themes
business
|morality
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The company failed to honour its warranty obligations.
- She honoured her promise to call every week.
- Both sides agreed to honour the terms of the treaty.
Learner examples
- He honoured his promise to help me.
- They honoured the contract.
- She honoured her agreement with the school.
Grammar
Dictionary form
honour
IPA
GB/ˈɑnɚ/
US/ˈɑnɚ/
Syllables & stress
hon - our (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (hon)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: honour
- Variant Spelling: honor
- Plural: honour, honours
Verb
- Base: honour
- Variant Spelling: honor
- 3rd Person Singular: honours
- Present Participle: honouring
- Past: honoured
Word family
Forms
Core family
honourable
adjective B2
honourably
adverb
Related words
honorary
adjective C1
Negative and opposite forms
Highlights
- Spelling Variant: honor Verb
- Spelling Variant: honor Noun
Expressions
do someone the honour
1/dˈu sˈʌmwˌʌn ðə ˈɑnɚ/
fixed phrase
formal
Politely invite someone to act
To politely ask someone to do something because you respect them.
Examples
- Would you do me the honour of joining me for dinner?
- May I do you the honour of introducing our guest speaker?
do the honours
1/dˈu ðə ˈɑnɚz/
idiom
Act as host for others
To act as host and serve people food or drinks at a social event.
Examples
- John, would you like to do the honours and pour the wine?
- Our host asked me to do the honours with the dessert.
guest of honour
1/ɡˈɛst əv ˈɑnɚ/
fixed phrase
Most important person at event
The most important person at an event, given special attention and respect.
Examples
- The guest of honour gave a short speech before dinner.
- We took photos with the guest of honour after the ceremony.
in honour of
1/ˈɪn ˈɑnɚ əv/
fixed phrase
As a mark of respect for
To show respect for someone or something special.
Examples
- They held a concert in honour of the retiring teacher.
- A statue was built in honour of the founder.