honour
honour — verb
- honourpresent simple I / you / we / they
- honours3rd person singular
- honouring-ing form
- honouredpast simple
1. to treat a person, group, or institution with special admiration, typically thro
to treat a person, group, or institution with special admiration, typically through formal actions, ceremonies, or thoughtful behaviour that shows you value them
The village held a ceremony to honour the soldiers who died in the war.
ceremony to honour [someone]
A statue was built to honour the founder of the city.
passive: was built to honour [someone]
Students should honour their teachers by paying attention in class.
Imran honoured his grandparents by naming his first child after them.
The entire community gathered to honour the fire chief for forty years of service.
- disrespect
to show a lack of respect
- dishonour
to bring shame or a loss of respect to someone
文法句型
honour + object
用法筆記
Common in formal contexts such as ceremonies, speeches, and memorial events. The object is usually a person, a group of people, or an abstract idea such as a tradition or someone's memory.
常見錯誤
2. to keep a promise, agreement, or other commitment by acting in the way that was
to keep a promise, agreement, or other commitment by acting in the way that was agreed upon
The company honoured its agreement to pay its workers on time.
honour + agreement/contract
Ada promised to help with the project, and she honoured that promise.
honour + promise
The government has not honoured its commitment to build new hospitals.
Both sides agreed to honour the terms of the peace treaty.
The landlord honoured the lease and repaired the broken heater within days.
文法句型
honour + object (promise/agreement/commitment)
用法筆記
Object is typically a promise, agreement, commitment, contract, or treaty. Frequently found in legal, business, and diplomatic contexts. The opposite action is to 'break' a promise or agreement.
常見錯誤
3. to publicly recognize someone's achievements or contributions by presenting them
to publicly recognize someone's achievements or contributions by presenting them with a prize, reward, or formal tribute
The university will honour the top students with a special award.
honour + with + award/prize
Kevin was honoured for his work helping homeless families find housing.
passive: be honoured for [achievement]
The film festival honoured Heloísa with a lifetime achievement award.
Each year the town honours a local volunteer at a public ceremony.
The president honoured the research team for their work on clean energy.
文法句型
honour + object
honour + object + with + award
be honoured + for + achievement
用法筆記
Often used in passive constructions. The reward or recognition can be a physical prize, an official title, or public praise. Subject is typically an institution, organisation, or public figure with authority.
honour — noun
- honoursingular
- honoursplural
1. a personal standard of behaviour based on honesty, fairness, and keeping your pr
a personal standard of behaviour based on honesty, fairness, and keeping your promises, which makes other people trust and respect you
Otis believed that his honour was worth more than any amount of money.
honour as a personal moral code
The old general carried himself with great honour and dignity.
Adaeze refused to lie in court, saying her honour would not allow it.
In many traditional communities, a family's honour is closely tied to its reputation.
Christopher felt he had lost his honour when he broke the promise to his grandfather.
- integrity
focuses on moral wholeness rather than social standing
- dignity
emphasises calm, serious behaviour that earns respect
- virtue
slightly more formal; suggests moral excellence in general
- reputation
what others think of you, whereas honour is about your own internal code
用法筆記
Often appears in fixed expressions such as 'a matter of honour', 'a point of honour', or 'my word of honour'. The focus is on personal integrity and the trust others place in you, rather than on public fame.
常見錯誤
2. used to describe an event, ceremony, or naming that is done to celebrate someone
used to describe an event, ceremony, or naming that is done to celebrate someone or show respect for them
The school held a special ceremony in honour of the retired head teacher.
in honour of + person being celebrated
A bronze statue was placed in the square in honour of the war heroes.
Min organised a dinner in honour of her parents' fiftieth wedding anniversary.
The new library wing was named in honour of a local author.
Fireworks lit up the sky in honour of the national holiday.
- as a tribute to
similar meaning, often used for solemn or public recognition
- in celebration of
more festive, less formal than 'in honour of'
- in memory of
specifically for someone who has died
用法筆記
Appears only in the fixed prepositional phrases 'in honour of someone/something' or 'in someone's honour'. The phrase typically precedes a named person, group, or occasion. 'In honour of' is slightly more formal than 'for'.
常見錯誤
3. the inner sense that a particular action is morally required of you, even when c
the inner sense that a particular action is morally required of you, even when carrying it out costs you something
Ishaan felt it was his honour to care for his elderly parents.
honour + to-infinitive expressing moral duty
The witness said it was her honour to tell the truth in court.
Erik considered it a point of honour to repay every loan on time.
The village elders felt honour-bound to protect the sacred forest from developers.
Trang believed that once she gave her word, her honour required her to keep it.
- duty
broader; can be legal or social, not necessarily moral
- obligation
more general; may come from a contract or rule, not just conscience
- moral responsibility
a longer phrase that makes the moral aspect explicit
- disgrace
the opposite — a failure to meet one's moral duty that brings shame
文法句型
it is someone's honour to do something
feel honour-bound to do something
用法筆記
Frequently appears in the structures 'it is your honour to do something' and 'I feel honour-bound to do something'. Stronger than a mere obligation — implies a deep moral compulsion that the person would feel ashamed to ignore. Often used in solemn or formal contexts.
常見錯誤
4. a special opportunity or event that causes deep satisfaction and pride, since it
a special opportunity or event that causes deep satisfaction and pride, since it signals that others hold you in high regard
It was a great honour to meet the Nobel Prize winner in person.
it is an honour + to-infinitive — polite formula
Valentina received the honour of leading the national team at the opening ceremony.
receive the honour of + gerund
The invitation to speak at the conference was the highest honour of her career.
Andrei said it would be an honour to serve as the charity's chairman.
For the young violinist, playing at the Royal Hall was a tremendous honour.
- privilege
very similar; 'privilege' emphasises that the opportunity is rare and special
- pleasure
less formal and less weighty than 'honour'
- distinction
more formal; emphasises that you are being set apart from others
文法句型
it is an honour to do something
receive the honour of doing something
用法筆記
Almost always used with the indefinite article: 'an honour'. Very common in polite formal introductions and thank-you speeches. Distinguished from sense 5, which refers to a formal award or prize rather than the subjective feeling of pride.
常見錯誤
5. an official award, prize, or special title given to someone to show admiration f
an official award, prize, or special title given to someone to show admiration for their achievements or service
Sivan received the highest honour in her field for groundbreaking medical research.
receive the highest honour in a field
The actress was given a lifetime achievement honour at the international film festival.
Tariq's military honours included medals for bravery and long service.
Several civic honours were presented at the town hall ceremony.
The university awards academic honours to students who finish in the top ten percent.
- award
more general; can be for any achievement, not necessarily moral
- decoration
specifically a medal or badge, often military
- accolade
formal; praise or recognition, not necessarily a physical object
- recognition
broader; can be unofficial or informal
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form 'honours' when referring to a collection of awards. Distinguished from sense 4: sense 5 refers to a concrete award or official recognition, while sense 4 describes the subjective feeling of pride at being chosen for something.
常見錯誤
6. a formal title used when speaking directly to a judge or when referring to them
a formal title used when speaking directly to a judge or when referring to them in a law court
The defence lawyer stood up and said, 'I object, Your Honour.'
Your Honour — direct address to a judge
The clerk announced, 'All rise for His Honour Judge Park.'
Apinya addressed the judge as 'Your Honour' throughout the trial.
'The court thanks you, Your Honour,' said the prosecutor at the end of the hearing.
用法筆記
Always capitalised when used as a title: 'Your Honour' (direct address), 'His Honour' / 'Her Honour' (third-person reference). In British English, used for judges in the Crown Court and County Court; in American English, used for all judges. Some US mayors are also addressed as 'Your Honour'.
常見錯誤
7. a high grade or special recognition given to a student who achieves excellent re
a high grade or special recognition given to a student who achieves excellent results in their exams or university assessments.
Meera graduated with first-class honours in economics from the University of Lagos.
collocation: graduate with honours
Lakan passed his final exams with honours, receiving a mark of over ninety per cent.
The certificate shows that the student completed the course with honours.
Only students who earn honours are invited to the special awards ceremony at the college.
Hugo's hard work was rewarded when he received honours for his final-year project.
- distinction
a specific grade label, often the highest tier; 'honours' is a broader category
文法句型
graduate / pass / complete + with + honours
用法筆記
Common in British university systems. In the UK, degrees are often classified as first-class honours, upper second-class honours (2:1), lower second-class honours (2:2), and third-class honours.
常見錯誤
8. a university programme that covers more difficult material than the ordinary cou
a university programme that covers more difficult material than the ordinary course of study; in American schools, it also refers to a class designed for students working above the usual standard.
Hugo enrolled in the honours programme at the University of Edinburgh to study advanced physics.
noun modifier: honours programme / course / degree
Sumin took an honours class in maths at her high school in Texas.
The university offers both an ordinary degree and an honours degree in history.
Students in the honours programme must complete a research project in their final year.
Isabela's honours dissertation on marine biology won a departmental award.
- advanced
describes the level of study, but not a specific named programme like 'honours'
- ordinary
used for standard-level courses or degrees that are not honours-level
文法句型
honours + noun (course / degree / class / programme)
用法筆記
Always used in its plural form "honours" in this sense, even when it functions as a single modifier before a noun.
常見錯誤
9. in golf, the privilege of playing first from the tee on a given hole, granted to
in golf, the privilege of playing first from the tee on a given hole, granted to the player who won the previous hole.
Chidi won the last hole and had the honour to tee off on the next.
collocation: have / take the honour (in golf)
Rachid won the previous hole and took the honour on the tenth tee.
The player with the honour always hits the ball first from the teeing area.
Hannah kept the honour for three holes straight after a series of great shots.
Reema gave up the honour to her opponent as a friendly gesture before the match.
文法句型
have / take / keep + the honour
the honour + verb
用法筆記
This sense is only used in golf and has a fixed expression pattern: the honour is always singular with 'the'. A player 'has', 'takes', or 'keeps' the honour.
常見錯誤
10. in the card game of bridge, any of the five highest-scoring cards in a suit — th
in the card game of bridge, any of the five highest-scoring cards in a suit — the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten, which are the most valuable cards in play.
Defne's hand contained four honours in spades, giving her a strong position in the game.
collocation: hold / contain honours in [suit]
Counting the honours in your hand helps you decide how many tricks you can win.
The team scored extra points because they held all five honours in hearts.
Élise bid confidently after seeing three honours in her hand.
A hand with many honours is usually very strong in the game of bridge.
- spot cards
the low cards (2 through 9) in each suit, as opposed to honours
文法句型
hold / have + number + honours + in + suit
用法筆記
Technical term used exclusively in bridge. The five honours in each suit are the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten. Holding all five in one suit gives a special scoring bonus.