honey

1 of 3

noun

hon·​ey ˈhə-nē How to pronounce honey (audio)
plural honeys
1
a
: a sweet viscid material elaborated out of the nectar of flowers in the honey sac of various bees
b
: a sweet fluid resembling honey that is collected or elaborated by various insects
2
a
: a loved one : sweetheart, dear
b
: a superlative example
3
: the quality or state of being sweet : sweetness
4
: an attractive woman

honey

2 of 3

verb

honeyed also honied ˈhə-nēd How to pronounce honey (audio) ; honeying

transitive verb

1
: to sweeten with or as if with honey
2
: to speak ingratiatingly to : flatter

intransitive verb

: to use blandishments or cajolery

honey

3 of 3

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or resembling honey
2
: much loved : dear

Examples of honey in a Sentence

Noun She likes honey in her tea. Your car is a real honey. Verb she knew that the hairstylist was honeying her for a reason—the expectation of a generous tip
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Ribs can be ordered with hot honey or barbecue sauce. Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 7 May 2024 Hey Yum uses honey, along with glucose syrup and sugar as a sweetener, so these don’t have the chemical aftertaste that’s common in candies sweetened with sugar alcohols. Kate Kassin, Bon Appétit, 7 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for honey 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'honey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English hony, from Old English hunig; akin to Old High German honag honey, and probably to Sanskrit kāñcana gold, Latin canicae bran

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of honey was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near honey

Cite this Entry

“Honey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honey. Accessed 12 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

honey

noun
hon·​ey
ˈhən-ē
plural honeys
1
: a thick sugary material prepared by bees from the nectar of flowers and stored by them in a honeycomb for food
2
a
: sweetheart, dear
often used as a term of affection
b
: something very good
a honey of a play
3
: the quality or state of being sweet
honey adjective

Medical Definition

honey

noun
hon·​ey ˈhən-ē How to pronounce honey (audio)
plural honeys
1
: a sweet viscid material elaborated out of the nectar of flowers in the honey sac of various bees
2
: any of various preparations consisting of simple mixtures of medicaments with honey
honey adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on honey

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