homily

/ˈhɒməli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhɑːməli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhä-mə-lē/ (ame, mw)

homily — noun

  • homilysingular
  • homiliesplural

1. a long talk, often felt to be boring, that tells people what is morally right an

1.名詞C2
釋義

a long talk, often felt to be boring, that tells people what is morally right and how they ought to behave; can also be a written text doing the same.

例句

Tamar's father gave the teenagers a homily about turning off their phones at dinner.

give someone a homily about [behaviour]

The newspaper printed a long homily on the duty of parents to read with their children.

a homily on [moral duty]

同義詞
  • lecture

    more general; can cover any subject, not just morals

  • sermon

    stronger religious overtone; often longer and more formal

  • moralizing

    emphasises the preachy, unwelcome tone

文法句型

deliver a homily on [topic]

homily about [behaviour]

用法筆記

Often used with a slightly negative tone — the speaker finds the moral advice unwanted, repetitive, or preachy. Common verbs: deliver, give, launch into.

常見錯誤

❌My boss gave me a homily about the new software.
✅My boss gave me a lecture about the new software.
💡a homily must be about moral behaviour, not technical or work instructions.

2. a short talk given by a priest or minister during a religious service, usually e

2.名詞C2
釋義

a short talk given by a priest or minister during a religious service, usually explaining a passage from the Bible.

例句

Father Mert preached a homily on forgiveness at the Sunday morning Mass.

preach a homily on [religious topic]

Haruto found the priest's homily about kindness moving and wrote it down afterwards.

a homily about [virtue]

同義詞
  • sermon

    longer and more developed; can stand alone outside a service

  • address

    more general; no religious requirement

文法句型

preach a homily

homily on [Bible passage]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: a church homily is given inside a religious service (especially Catholic or Anglican Mass), is usually shorter than a full sermon, and is rarely described negatively. Subject is almost always a priest, deacon, or bishop.

常見錯誤

❌The pastor gave a homily for two hours.
✅The pastor gave a sermon for two hours.
💡a homily is short; long religious talks are called sermons.