homage
- 01 C1 Advanced
something you do or say to show that you admire someone very much.
a public demonstration of respect or dedication, often performed to honor a person's legacy or achievements.
Simple“The new library was built as a homage to the local poet who died last year.”
In context“The ceremony served as a moving homage to the retiring professor, whose research had fundamentally reshaped the department over four decades.”
UsageOften used with the verb 'pay' as in 'to pay homage to someone'.
Antonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
in history, a formal promise of loyalty made by a worker to a lord.
the formal ceremony or oath by which a vassal declared himself to be the man of his lord and promised him loyalty.
Simple“The knight knelt before the king to perform his act of homage.”
In context“The historical record details the specific rituals of homage required of a tenant-in-chief upon inheriting his father's lands.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is strictly historical; modern learners will almost exclusively encounter the 'tribute' or 'artistic' senses.
Synonymsallegiancefealty
“Younger stars queued up to pay homage of one kind or another.”
“This is not the only floodlight-inspired design; Nike paid homage to VfL Bochum’s floodlights in 2020-21 – but at least their stadium’s massive pylons are a genuine symbol of the city.”
From Middle English homage, from Old French homage, hommage, from Medieval Latin homināticum (“homage, the service of a vassal or 'man'”), from Latin homō (“a man, in Medieval Latin a vassal”) + -āticum (noun-forming suffix). The American pronunciations in /-ɑːʒ/ and with silent h are due to confusion with the nearly synonymous doublet hommage, which is indeed pronounced /oʊˈmɑːʒ/.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.