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
Relevance
2
as in cliche
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
In the movie Conclave, Cardinal Lawrence (played by Ralph Fiennes) delivers a homily to begin the ancient process of picking a new Pope.
—
Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
The Mass was in Latin, but the homilies were in their own languages, delivered by pastors who shared their heritage.
—Geraldo Cadava, New Yorker, 22 May 2025
Homily — Leo delivers his homily in Italian, possibly previewing his vision for the church.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 18 May 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
Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
The Mass was in Latin, but the homilies were in their own languages, delivered by pastors who shared their heritage.
—Geraldo Cadava, New Yorker, 22 May 2025
Homily — Leo delivers his homily in Italian, possibly previewing his vision for the church.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 18 May 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
Noun
-
Noah is constantly making sermons or toasts cribbed from Talmud for Netflix Subscribers.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Christian pastors praise Kirk as 'martyr,' claim revival After Kirk's death, several Christian pastors in the Valley spoke in strong terms about him in their sermons and online.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Spoofing slashers and their tired cliches with a new perspective, the comedy features Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine as good-natured hillbillies assumed to be backwoods psycho killers by a bunch of college students.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
-
To borrow a cliche, the M’s feel like the team of destiny.—
The Athletic MLB Staff,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Continue reading … BLIND LOYALTY – Karine Jean-Pierre has rocky rollout for book as reviews pan Biden defense, platitudes.—
,
FOXNews.com,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Survivors need concrete safety and justice, not spiritual platitudes.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Exposure to chemical warfare agents—such as nerve gas—or to pyridostigmine bromide, a drug given to soldiers as a preventive measure against chemical attacks, may have played a role.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
-
There is an outright rejection of bromides that would give us some conclusion of reassurance.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Evil is aided and abetted by the banality of institutions and their functionaries.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
-
This punishing process, thread by thread, inch by inch, keeps luridness from sinking into banality.—
Jerry Saltz,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But as the saying goes, the best ability is availability, and Ertz has proven to be one of the most frequently available and productive tight ends in the history of the sport.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
As the saying goes, the best defense is a good offense.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But the movie’s soft-hearted underbelly fails to support that reading, and by the time the story finally arrives at its final moments, the unsparing cynicism that supplied its initial lift has been dragged back down to Earth by the weight of bland truisms.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
15 Oct. 2025
-
One ironclad truism about sports is that all streaks eventually come to an end.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The lyrics, some inspired by proverbs and biblical passages, convey the fervor of his first love with God, without losing his personal touch.—
Jessica Roiz,
Billboard,
17 Oct. 2025
-
His tale has become a proverb for any outdoor fanatic who, despite all of the proper planning and preparation, is undone by forces more powerful than him or herself.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Homily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/homily. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share