hymn

hymn — noun

1. a religious song that Christians sing during church services to worship and prai

1.nounB1
Definition

a religious song that Christians sing during church services to worship and praise God

Example

The congregation stood up to sing the opening hymn together.

collocation: sing a hymn

Ava chose her grandmother's favourite hymn for the memorial service last Saturday.

Common collocations
  • sing a hymn
  • hymn book
  • church hymn
  • hymn tune
  • words of a hymn
Synonyms
  • anthem

    an anthem is a grand religious song, often for choirs, whereas a hymn is simpler and sung by the whole congregation

  • psalm

    a psalm is a sacred song from the biblical Book of Psalms, whereas a hymn may be written by any author at any time

Usage Note

Hymns usually have verses and a chorus, and the tune is often called the hymn's 'melody.' The book containing hymns is called a hymn book or hymnal.

Common Mistakes

They sang a hymn to the president.
They sang a hymn to God at the church service.
In its literal sense, a hymn is directed toward God or a religious figure, not a person.

2. a book, film, poem, or other creative work that expresses very strong praise for

2.nounB2
Definition

a book, film, poem, or other creative work that expresses very strong praise for a particular person, thing, or idea

Example

The director's latest film is a hymn to the beauty of rural Japan.

pattern: hymn to [something]

Christopher wrote a short poem that is a hymn to the courage of everyday workers.

Common collocations
  • a hymn to
  • film/novel/poem is a hymn to
Synonyms
  • tribute

    tribute is a broader term for any act or gift showing respect; hymn in this sense is more poetic and suggests song-like beauty

  • paean

    paean is a formal word for a song or piece of writing full of praise; it is rarer and more literary than hymn

Grammar Patterns

hymn to [something]

Usage Note

This sense is always followed by 'to' (a hymn to something). It is metaphorical — the work is compared to a religious song because of its deeply admiring tone. Common in arts criticism.

Idioms

sing from the same hymn/song sheet

idiom

To express the same opinions as others in a group, especially in public.

The team members all sang from the same hymn sheet during the meeting.

Did the directors sing from the same song sheet at the press conference?

hymn — verb

Word family

  • hymnal
    nounB2
  • hymnody
    nounC2
  • hymnology
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe religious or ceremonial songs, but they differ in context and usage. A hymn is a Christian song sung by a congregation during worship, usually with verses and a repeated chorus. An anthem is a more elaborate choral piece, often performed by a choir in a church or as a national song (e.g. national anthem). A psalm is specifically a sacred poem from the biblical Book of Psalms, often set to music and used in both Jewish and Christian liturgy. A carol is a joyful religious song associated with Christmas, sung both in church and in community settings. For example, a church service might open with the hymn 'Amazing Grace,' the choir might perform an anthem based on Psalm 23, and in December the congregation would join in singing carols like 'Silent Night.'

hymn ↗anthempsalmcarol

Common collocations

Nouns

  • hymn book
  • hymn tune
  • hymn writer
  • hymn melody
  • hymn lyrics

Phrases

  • sing from the same hymn sheet
  • words of a hymn

Prepositions

  • hymn to

Etymology

GreekLatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word hymn comes from the Latin hymnus, which was borrowed from the Greek hymnos, meaning 'a song of praise to a god or hero.' The Greeks originally used hymnos for songs honouring gods in religious ceremonies. Latin carried the word into early Christian worship, and it entered English through Old French ymne and Latin hymnus during the 11th century. Over time, the meaning narrowed from any praise-song to the specifically Christian congregational song we know today.