honey
HUH-nee
Honey (noun) means a sweet, thick golden liquid made by bees from flower nectar. Example: “She drizzled honey over her yogurt for breakfast.”
noun
1
A sweet, thick golden liquid made by bees from flower nectar.
"She drizzled honey over her yogurt for breakfast."
"Local honey is often sold at the farmers' market."
"Grandad spread thick honey on his toast and stirred a spoonful into his tea."
2
An affectionate term for someone you love or care about.
""Honey, dinner's ready," she called up the stairs."
""Thanks for the lift, honey," he said, kissing his wife on the cheek."
"Don't worry, honey, you'll do brilliantly at the audition tomorrow."
How to use honey
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the sweet substance made by bees, or a warm nickname for someone close to you.
Common pairings
pot of honey
honey bee
honeycomb
sweet as honey
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Word forms
- Plural
- honeys, honies
- Third person singular
- honeys
- Past tense
- honeyed
- Comparative
- honeyer, honier
- Superlative
- honeyest, honiest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She drizzled _____ over her yogurt for breakfast.
Etymology
From Old English huniġ, from a Proto-Germanic root, ultimately going back to a Proto-Indo-European word for a golden or yellowish substance.
Related words
Rhymes for honey
See all rhymes for honey →Frequently asked questions
What does “honey” mean?
The word “honey” means a sweet, thick golden liquid made by bees from flower nectar. In plain terms, either the sweet substance made by bees, or a warm nickname for someone close to you.
How do you pronounce “honey”?
“Honey” is pronounced HUH-nee (/ˈhʌni/ in IPA).
How do you use “honey” in a sentence?
Here is “honey” used in a sentence: “She drizzled honey over her yogurt for breakfast.”
What is another word for “honey”?
Words with a similar meaning to “honey” include sweetie.
What part of speech is “honey”?
“Honey” is a noun.
Where does the word “honey” come from?
The word “honey” comes from Old English. From Old English huniġ, from a Proto-Germanic root, ultimately going back to a Proto-Indo-European word for a golden or yellowish substance.
Is “honey” a common word?
“Honey” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “honey” have?
“Honey” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a sweet, thick golden liquid made by bees from flower nectar.
Is it okay to call someone honey?
Honey is an affectionate term for someone you love or care about, so it suits partners, family, and close friends. Used with strangers or colleagues it can come across as overly familiar or patronising, so it is best avoided in professional settings.
Is honey countable or uncountable?
As the substance made by bees, honey is uncountable: you say 'some honey' or 'a jar of honey', not 'a honey'. As a term of endearment it is used as a form of address ('Hi, honey'), and informally 'a honey' can describe an attractive person or thing.
What is the difference between honey and hun?
Hun is an informal shortened spelling of honey used as a term of endearment, common in casual speech and texting. Honey is the full form and also names the sweet golden liquid made by bees; hun never refers to the food.
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