hone

1 of 3

verb (1)

honed; honing

transitive verb

1
: to sharpen or smooth with a whetstone
2
: to make more acute, intense, or effective : whet
helped her hone her comic timingPatricia Bosworth
honer noun

hone

2 of 3

noun

hone

3 of 3

verb (2)

honed; honing

intransitive verb

1
dialect : yearn
often used with for or after
2
dialect : grumble, moan

Examples of hone in a Sentence

Verb (1) honed the knife's blade to razor-like sharpness honed his crossword-puzzle skills by reading the dictionary as though it were a thrilling novel honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Meanwhile, more senior staff will have greater bandwidth to help juniors hone their judgement and instincts. Jeff Berkowitz, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025 There is an unmistakable finesse here, a precision that Sullivan, who graduated from Tulane with a degree in finance and management, honed at the Culinary Institute of America. Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 12 Aug. 2025 There are mechanics to hone, more efficiency to find and greater consistency to discover. Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2025 The Evija is made here, in a building that once hosted the Lotus Carlton assembly line, and was developed on Hethel’s 2.2-mile test track—previously used to hone Lotus legends such as the Esprit and Elise. Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hone

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb (1)

Middle English, from Old English hān stone; akin to Old Norse hein whetstone, Latin cot-, cos, Sanskrit śiśāti he whets

Verb (2)

Middle French hoigner to grumble

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hone was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Hone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hone. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

hone

verb
ˈhōn
honed; honing
1
: to sharpen with or as if with a fine abrasive stone
2
: to make more intense or effective
top athletes honing their skills

More from Merriam-Webster on hone

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