lexicow

homage

/ˈhɑːmɪdʒ//ˈhɒmɪdʒ/·noun
I watch them come to the statue one at a time. Each stops at its foot, bends low — lower than a greeting would need — and sets a small token down on the growing heap before straightening and stepping back for the next. No one speaks. The bowing passes down the line like a slow wave, every offering laid in the open, all of it plainly meant for the one figure standing above them on the plinth.
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Definition

Homage is honour paid openly — a public show of respect or tribute. It began as a feudal term, the vow a vassal swore to a lord, and still carries that sense of deliberate, formal acknowledgement. Today you pay homage with a profound bow, a wreath at a memorial, or a film that nods to a pivotal predecessor. What sets it apart from private admiration is that it is performed and seen: an act, addressed to someone, done where others can witness it.

Examples

  • The crowd fell silent to pay homage to a leader whose work would transcend his own lifetime.
  • Laying a wreath at the memorial is an act of homage repeated every year.
  • Young chefs pay homage to the robust country cooking they grew up on.

Collocations

pay homage to·an act of homage·in homage to·do homage·a fitting homage

Synonyms

tribute·honour·reverence·respect·deference

Antonyms

scorn·contempt

In TOEFL & IELTS

Almost always in the fixed phrase 'pay homage to'. Useful in essays on culture, history, and the arts. Pronunciation varies (the initial 'h' may be dropped in some accents); stress falls on the first syllable. Don't confuse it with 'homily' (a sermon or moralizing talk).