as in halfpenny
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of kenning
Jonah Walters, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2024
Most of the writers attempting to imitate Tolkien weren’t steeped in the rhythm of Old English kennings, or the spiritual yearning of chivalric romance.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2023
Weinersmith has successfully captured the spirit of this timeless story, weaving in generous amounts of alliteration and his version of Old English kennings, a compound figure of speech that replaces a common noun with two or more words that make for a more figurative than literal description.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 Apr. 2023
Noun
The kenning’s true meaning lies beyond the edges of my comprehension.
—Jonah Walters, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2024
Most of the writers attempting to imitate Tolkien weren’t steeped in the rhythm of Old English kennings, or the spiritual yearning of chivalric romance.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2023
Weinersmith has successfully captured the spirit of this timeless story, weaving in generous amounts of alliteration and his version of Old English kennings, a compound figure of speech that replaces a common noun with two or more words that make for a more figurative than literal description.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kenning
Noun
-
Indeed, in 2023, his music earned him just shy of $200,000, about one halfpenny at a time.—
Brett Martin,
New York Times,
31 Mar. 2024
-
In nineteenth-century England, tailors would place old halfpennies in the pockets of a man’s new suit for good luck.—
Hua Hsu,
The New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2023
Verb
-
For starters, even though federal law requires hospitals to list their prices publicly, fathoming these files is almost impossible.—
Rufina Chow,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
-
However, Chiefs veteran center Creed Humphrey says his team won't be listening to those, or even fathoming the thought of panicking.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
18 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
These poppers start with the crisp, juicy snap of mini sweet peppers, which are filled with a creamy, tangy pimiento cheese spiked with smoky bacon and a whisper of black pepper.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
5 May 2026
-
The early universe, a mere whisper after the Big Bang, just a few hundred million years old — that's when the first stars and galaxies were starting to flicker on, like fairy lights across a cosmic dark.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Abraham Lincoln was wary of the doctrine, perceiving that any such notion of divine inevitability could be used to justify land grabs and war.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Kepler devoted much of his career to figuring out optics, and was arguably the first scientific thinker to articulate the difference between seeing and perceiving.—
Rebecca Boyle,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Tiny bugs float in the sun like dust motes, and there are graceful flies large enough to require a runway landing.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
-
Sunbeams through the windows illuminate floating dust motes—and, imperceptibly, microdroplets of mucus carrying the measles virus, expelled from an infected but asymptomatic child who is hopping and laughing among the others.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As plants use rainwater to grow, their leaves pick up the rain’s characteristic ratio of hydrogen isotopes—atoms with the same number of protons and different numbers of neutrons.—
Hannah Richter,
Scientific American,
7 May 2026
-
Researchers from Cleveland Clinic, RIKEN, and IBM have carried out the largest quantum-classical chemistry simulation to date, modeling protein-ligand systems with more than 12,000 atoms.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 compelled authorities in northern free states to assist in apprehending and returning those who escaped back to slavery.—
Jeremy Mennis,
The Conversation,
1 May 2026
-
Aided by the Coast Guard's Cutter Florence Finch, Air and Marine Operations' Long Beach Marine Unit crew intercepted the boat near San Nicolas Island, apprehending 29 Mexican nationals.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Moreover, Trump cares not a whit about bringing drug traffickers to justice.—
Peter Kornbluh,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Miss Keaton…is not a whit like the flustered ingénue she was cast to play.—
Chris Morris,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kenning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kenning. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
