homily

noun

ˈhä-mə-lē How to pronounce homily (audio)
Definition of homilynext
1
as in sermon
a public speech usually by a member of the clergy for the purpose of giving moral guidance or uplift last Sunday's homily was about being kind to your neighbors

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in platitude
an idea or expression that has been used by many people a TV movie filled with the usual hokey homilies about people triumphing over life's adversities

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 homily Earlier in the day, in his Easter homily, Pope Leo focused on retaining hope amid the violence of war, climate change and other suffering. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026 The following clergy are also set to participate in Cheney's funeral including Hollerith, who will offer the homily. — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025 No lectures, no homilies, no empty words. — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025 In his fiery homilies, the Monsignor seems to target one new congregation member per week, pushing for the victory of a walkout. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for homily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for homily
  1. sermon
  2. platitude
  3. bromide
  4. banality
  5. saying
  6. truism
  7. proverb
  8. trope
Noun
  • The two rituals have unfolded in parallel since the Christian church’s pastor, Sarah Lucas, preached a sermon condemning Arapaho ceremonial ways.
    — Savannah Peters, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Her words, as if plucked from a Sunday morning sermon, speak to the source of her strength.
    — Nicole Avery Nichols, Freep.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of sermon
Noun
  • Hughes offered the usual interview platitudes and seemed to be pleased with how his team was playing.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Because the story lines are facile fakes, because the characters are blanked out, the substance of relationships is reduced to dialogue of generalities and platitudes.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of platitude
Noun
  • At the time, the state used a three-drug execution protocol of midazolam, vecuronium bromide and potassium chloride.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The protocol involved an administration of an anesthetic, sodium thiopental, followed by pancuronium bromide, a paralytic agent, and finally by potassium chloride to stop the heart, all in much higher doses than they’re typically used.
    — Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of bromide
Noun
  • There’s so much premeditation and passion into doing that, and to actually play that with no music and just the sound and the banality of a lifeless body being hit by some blunt instrument is very viscerally upsetting.
    — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Then morning would come, with all the banalities that drew them apart.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of banality
Noun
  • The old saying goes that rotation is the lifeblood of a bull market.
    — Todd Gordon, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Good fences might make good neighbors, as the old saying goes, but would a silk fence make a good fence?
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of saying
Noun
  • With all the hype surrounding potential uses of AI tools, this is a truism that too often gets forgotten.
    — Bryan Mistele, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Wars cannot be fought on ideology alone – a truism that perhaps led to the firebrand former defense minister’s departure, after months of clashes and refusing to deal with the army top brass, as Zelensky describes it.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of truism
Noun
  • In American sports, namely college and professional football, head coaches often land on one singular proverb after a victory.
    — Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The underlying lesson of the proverb dates back at least to the time of the first Olympics in Greece — nearly 3,000 years ago, for those counting at home.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of proverb
Noun
  • The South London artist channels Disney soundtrack tropes into claustrophobic strings and drones, while a handful of vocal tracks hint darkly at real-world family drama.
    — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma 1/2 manga laid the groundwork for some of the genre's most enduring tropes (gender switching, horny old guys, tournaments), and this is the second anime adaptation, this time from Studio MAPPA.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of trope

Browse Nearby Words

homilies
homily
homing
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Cite this Entry

“Homily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/homily. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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