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According to the poet Homer, the Greek god Apollo sometimes took the guise of Paean, physician to the gods. The earliest musical paeans were hymns of thanksgiving and praise that were dedicated to Apollo. They were sung at events ranging from boisterous festivals to public funerals, and they were the traditional marching songs of armies heading into battle. Over time, the word became generalized, and it is now used for any kind of tribute.
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Examples of paean in a Sentence
his retirement party featured many paeans for his long years of service to the company
Recent Examples on the Web
The aftermath of the Madison Square Garden comedy bit has already activated national voices such as Bad Bunny, who decided to republish his paean to Puerto Ricans.
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Rafael Bernal, The Hill, 29 Oct. 2024
The interiors are a paean to nautical good taste, decked with antique oil portraits, brass chandeliers, and white wainscotting.
—Jo Rodgers, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2024
Not every movie that stars eating and food need be a dewy-eyed paean to pleasure.
—Scott Hocker, theweek, 28 Oct. 2024
Julia is a paean to the deep-down certainty that hard work and goodness will win the day and that the process of practicing and perfecting something is the route to the best possible result but also an experience that’s worthy just for the process of it.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2024
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Rafael Bernal, The Hill, 29 Oct. 2024
The interiors are a paean to nautical good taste, decked with antique oil portraits, brass chandeliers, and white wainscotting.
—Jo Rodgers, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2024
Not every movie that stars eating and food need be a dewy-eyed paean to pleasure.
—Scott Hocker, theweek, 28 Oct. 2024
Julia is a paean to the deep-down certainty that hard work and goodness will win the day and that the process of practicing and perfecting something is the route to the best possible result but also an experience that’s worthy just for the process of it.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for paean
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Cite this Entry
“Paean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paean. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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paean
noun
pae·an
ˈpē-ən 
: a song of joy, praise, or triumph
a paean to youth
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