honors

honors — noun

1. The high respect and good opinion that people have of you because of your action

1.名詞B2
釋義

The high respect and good opinion that people have of you because of your actions or your character.

例句

Manuela brought great honor to her school by winning the national science prize.

collocation: bring honor to [person/institution]

Tuan felt that lying to his parents would cost him his honor as a son.

同義詞
  • reputation

    broader — can be good or bad; 'honor' is always positive

  • prestige

    more about social status and influence than moral respect

  • esteem

    more formal; often used in 'hold someone in high esteem'

反義詞
  • disgrace

    loss of respect because of bad actions

  • shame

    the painful feeling of having lost honor

文法句型

bring honor to [someone]

a matter of honor

用法筆記

Often used with verbs like 'bring,' 'earn,' 'defend,' or 'lose.' Distinguished from sense 2 — this sense is about what others think of you (reputation), not your inner character.

2. The quality of being honest and true to your principles — the inner strength to

2.名詞B2
釋義

The quality of being honest and true to your principles — the inner strength to do what is right even when no one else is looking.

例句

Faisal showed true honor when he returned the lost wallet with every dollar still inside.

honor as moral character demonstrated in action

Kian told the truth about breaking the kitchen window even though he knew his father would be angry.

phrase: a person of honor

同義詞
  • integrity

    stresses consistency between principles and actions

  • honesty

    narrower — focuses specifically on telling the truth

  • principle

    refers to the moral rules themselves, not the quality of following them

反義詞
  • dishonesty

    the opposite of being truthful and fair

  • corruption

    using power for personal gain in a dishonest way

文法句型

a person of honor

act with honor

用法筆記

Subject is always a person. Distinguished from sense 1 — this sense is about internal moral quality, not external reputation. Distinguished from sense 10 (in a later batch) which is specifically about a woman's chastity or sexual purity.

常見錯誤

❌He is a man of great honor — everyone in town speaks well of him.
✅He is a man of great honor
💡he returned the money even though nobody would have known.' — Sense 2 is about inner moral choices, not popularity. The first sentence describes reputation (sense 1).

3. A strong promise that other people can trust completely; your personal guarantee

3.名詞B2
釋義

A strong promise that other people can trust completely; your personal guarantee that you will definitely do something.

例句

Takeshi gave his word of honor that he would look after his younger sister until she finished school.

phrase: give one's word of honor

Nora promised on her honor to bring the borrowed tools back before Sunday.

phrase: on one's honor

同義詞
  • pledge

    more formal and often written rather than spoken

  • oath

    has legal or religious overtones; often sworn before a witness

  • vow

    typically used for serious personal commitments like marriage

文法句型

word of honor

on one's honor

give [someone] one's honor

用法筆記

Almost always appears in fixed phrases: 'word of honor,' 'on my/your/his honor,' or 'give [someone] your honor.' Rarely used on its own outside these patterns.

常見錯誤

❌I give you my honor to pay you back next week.
✅I give you my word of honor that I will pay you back next week.
💡The fixed phrase is 'word of honor,' not just 'my honor.'

4. A special chance or experience that makes you feel proud and valued — for exampl

4.名詞B1
釋義

A special chance or experience that makes you feel proud and valued — for example, being chosen to give an important speech or to represent your country.

例句

Accepting the award for her team was the greatest honor of Hui's long career.

structure: the honor of [someone's] life/career

Adaeze felt it was a deep honor when the university asked her to give the opening lecture.

同義詞
  • privilege

    stresses exclusive access rather than the feeling of pride

  • distinction

    more about being set apart from others as special

反義詞
  • disgrace

    an experience that brings shame rather than pride

  • humiliation

    a deeply embarrassing or shaming experience

文法句型

an honor to [verb]

have the honor of [gerund]

do [someone] the honor

用法筆記

Nearly always singular and preceded by 'a' or 'the.' Common in formal speeches and introductions. Distinguished from sense 1 — this sense is about a specific event or opportunity that brings pride, not general reputation.

常見錯誤

❌It was my honor to meet the president.
✅It was an honor to meet the president.
💡The fixed expression uses 'an honor' (indefinite article), not 'my honor.'

5. A person whose character or achievements make a group, family, or organization p

5.名詞B2
釋義

A person whose character or achievements make a group, family, or organization proud to be linked with them.

例句

After forty years of teaching, Nora was considered an honor to the entire school district.

structure: an honor to [group/institution]

Dr. Chen became an honor to the research community through her decades of work on clean water.

同義詞
  • credit

    used in 'a credit to [group]' — very similar meaning but less formal

  • asset

    more about practical value; less about moral admiration

  • pride

    used in 'the pride of [place]' — refers to a person a community is proud of

反義詞
  • disgrace

    a person who brings shame to their group

  • embarrassment

    a person whose behavior makes others uncomfortable by association

文法句型

an honor to [group/institution]

用法筆記

Always singular and preceded by 'an.' Distinguished from sense 4 — sense 4 is an experience that brings pride; sense 5 is a person who brings pride to others.

6. A title, medal, prize, or other sign that shows someone has done very well — for

6.名詞B2
釋義

A title, medal, prize, or other sign that shows someone has done very well — for example, a graduation prize, a military decoration, or first place in a competition.

例句

Sivan graduated with top honors in chemistry and received three separate prizes at the ceremony.

collocation: graduate with top honors

Takeshi wore his father's military honors proudly at the Remembrance Day parade.

collocation: military honors

同義詞
  • award

    more concrete — a physical prize or certificate given at a ceremony

  • decoration

    specifically military; a medal worn on a uniform

  • distinction

    often academic; e.g. 'graduated with distinction'

  • accolade

    often verbal — public praise rather than a physical award

文法句型

with honors

military honors

academic honors

top honors

用法筆記

Often plural ('honors'). Common in academic and military contexts. Distinguished from sense 4 — sense 4 is the feeling or experience of pride; sense 6 is the physical or formal recognition (medal, title, certificate).

常見錯誤

❌She graduated with honor in biology.
✅She graduated with honors in biology.
💡In academic contexts, the standard phrase is plural: 'with honors.'

7. An advanced academic programme or class for students who perform well above the

7.名詞B2
釋義

An advanced academic programme or class for students who perform well above the standard level, covering material in greater depth.

例句

Selim joined the honors biology course after achieving a near-perfect score on the entrance exam.

honors + subject: honors biology, honors maths

Min joined the honors track and spent his final year writing a research paper on the local river.

同義詞
反義詞

文法句型

honors + noun (honors course, honors degree)

用法筆記

Commonly used before another noun to describe an advanced version of something: honors course, honors programme, honors degree.

常見錯誤

❌She made the honors course this semester.
✅She made the honor roll this semester.
💡An honors course is an advanced class; the honor roll is a list of top-performing students.

8. A formal ceremony or ritual performed to mark an important occasion, especially

8.名詞C1
釋義

A formal ceremony or ritual performed to mark an important occasion, especially one showing respect for someone who has died.

例句

The war veteran was buried with full military honors, including a rifle salute and a flag ceremony.

collocation: full military honors

Mourners lined the streets to pay their last honors as the coffin passed slowly by.

同義詞
  • rites

    more general; can refer to any ceremonial act, not necessarily honoring someone

  • obsequies

    specifically funeral rites; very formal and now rare

用法筆記

Always plural. Often paired with adjectives like 'full,' 'last,' or 'military' to specify the type of ceremony.

9. A physical movement such as a bow or curtsy made to show respect for someone of

9.名詞C2
釋義

A physical movement such as a bow or curtsy made to show respect for someone of higher status.

例句

The knight offered the expected honors — a low bow — before the crowned king.

Visitors at court performed the honors with a deep bow before speaking.

plural 'honors' used for a single deferential gesture

同義詞
  • obeisance

    more formal and literary; suggests deep submission

  • bow

    a simpler, more common word for the same physical action

  • curtsy

    specifically a woman's or girl's gesture of bending the knees

用法筆記

Now rare; found chiefly in historical accounts or descriptions of formal court etiquette.

10. A woman's reputation for remaining sexually pure before marriage, considered a m

10.名詞C1
釋義

A woman's reputation for remaining sexually pure before marriage, considered a mark of good character in traditional society.

例句

The family in the novel guarded their daughter's honor, never leaving her unchaperoned with suitors.

collocation: guard one's honor

The story's heroine, Anna, knew that if she lost her honor before the wedding, her family would never forgive her.

同義詞
  • chastity

    more clinical or religious in tone; often used in moral or ecclesiastical contexts

  • virtue

    broader; can refer to any moral excellence, not only sexual conduct

  • purity

    more moralistic; emphasises innocence and cleanliness

用法筆記

An old-fashioned sense, mainly encountered in historical novels and period dramas. Distinguish from sense 2 (ethical integrity), which applies to anyone regardless of gender.

常見錯誤

❌He lost his honor by lying to his friends.' (when meaning chastity)
✅The novel describes how the young woman lost her honor before the wedding.
💡Sense 10 refers specifically to a woman's sexual purity; for general integrity, use sense 2.

11. The polite welcoming duties that a host performs for guests at a social event, s

11.名詞B2
釋義

The polite welcoming duties that a host performs for guests at a social event, such as greeting them and making introductions.

例句

Samir did the honors at the door, taking coats and handing drinks to the arriving guests.

phrase: do the honors (act as host)

At the wedding, the bride's father did the honors, welcoming everyone with a short speech.

同義詞
  • courtesies

    simpler and less specific to hosting; can refer to any polite behaviour

  • civilities

    emphasises polite words and formal manners rather than hosting actions

文法句型

do the honors

用法筆記

Almost always appears in the phrase 'do the honors,' meaning to act as host or perform welcoming duties.

常見錯誤

❌He did the honor of introducing the speaker.
✅He did the honors and introduced the speaker.
💡The fixed phrase uses the plural 'honors,' not the singular 'honor.'

12. In bridge, the five highest cards of a suit — from ace down to ten — earn bonus

12.名詞C2
釋義

In bridge, the five highest cards of a suit — from ace down to ten — earn bonus points for the side that holds them.

例句

Hiro held four honors in the trump suit, giving the partnership an easy game bonus.

bridge term: honors = ace, king, queen, jack, or ten of the trump suit

At the bridge club, counting honors correctly often decides who wins the rubber.

同義詞
  • high cards

    more general; used in any card game, not restricted to bridge scoring

  • court cards

    refers only to king, queen, and jack — not ace or ten

反義詞

用法筆記

A term from card games, especially bridge. The five honors in each suit are ace, king, queen, jack, and ten. Holding them scores extra points even if the contract is not made.

13. In golf, the right to take the first shot from the tee at the start of a hole, u

13.名詞
釋義

In golf, the right to take the first shot from the tee at the start of a hole, usually earned by winning the previous hole.

例句

Diego earned honors on the seventh green and led the group to the next tee.

earn honors — win the right to tee off first

Fatima held honors and drove her ball two hundred yards down the fairway.

用法筆記

A golf-specific term. Honors are typically earned by winning the previous hole; if the previous hole was tied, the player who held honors keeps them.