English Reference
Idiom idiom

badge of honor

Meaning

An outward sign that signifies some distinction.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Examples
SIMPLE

“She wears her old work boots like a badge of honor.”

CONTEXTUAL

“After working through the night to finish the project, he treated his exhaustion like a badge of honor.”

COMPLEX

“The veteran viewed the scars he earned during his years of service as a permanent badge of honor.”

Anchors to
Related idioms3entries
  1. 01

    badge bunny

    A woman who is romantically attracted to police officers and who seeks out their companionship.

  2. 02

    do the honors

    To act as a host to guests.

  3. 03

    honor in the breach

    To demonstrate (a rule, law, or policy) by breaking or breaching it.

Last updated August 10, 2026