homage means A demonstration of respect, as towards a person after his or her retirement or death. It carries an Arena rating of 1643, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, homage ranks #1,823 of 14,297 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #2,382 of 14,414 for Most Elegant Words, #2,580 of 14,456 for The Improbable, #6,218 of 14,340 for Most Vivid Words.
homage is pronounced /ˈhɒmɪd͡ʒ/.
Why “homage” is a great word
A formal public acknowledgment of respect or allegiance, or an artistic imitation that flatters its source, derived 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") + the noun-forming suffix -āticum. Unlike deference, which yields personal judgment in social interaction, or tribute, a tangible gift of praise, homage is the ritual itself—the vassal's hands clasped within his lord's, the filmmaker's meticulous replication of a classic sequence, the quiet brushstroke echoing a forgotten genius. It is the recognition that all creation stands upon ground hallowed by others, and to stand in that light is still to stand.
Etymology
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/.
noun
- A demonstration of respect, as towards a person after his or her retirement or death.“I ſought no homage from the Race that vvrite; / I kept, like Aſian Monarchs, from their ſight: […]”
- An artistic work imitating another in a flattering style.“He likes to tell people that it's a Hitchcockian thriller, but that's kind of like saying Happy Gilmore is a homage to Woody Allen.”
- In feudalism, the formal oath of a vassal to honor his or her lord's rights.“We'll do thee homage, and be rul'd by thee, / Love thee as our commander and our king.”
verb
- To pay reverence to by external action.
- To cause to pay homage.“The Austrian Crowns and Romes seven Hills she shook; >br>To her great Neptune Homag'd all his Streams”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- hommage 94% match — A homage, especially something in an artwork which has been done in respectful imitation of another artist. vs homage →
- tribute 90% match — An acknowledgment of gratitude, respect or admiration; an accompanying gift. vs homage →
- venerate 85% match — To treat with great respect and deference. vs homage →
- homager 85% match — One who pays feudal homage, hence a vassal. vs homage →
- veneration 85% match — The act of venerating or the state of being venerated. vs homage →
- pastiche 85% match — A work of art, drama, literature, music, or architecture that imitates the work of a previous artist, usually in a positive or neutral way. vs homage →
- adulation 85% match — Flattery; fulsome praise. vs homage →
- obeisance 84% match — Demonstration of an obedient attitude, especially by bowing deeply; a deep bow which demonstrates such an attitude. vs homage →