Lindsay McMahon
"The English Adventurer"

Have you heard somebody say that they are doing something “in honor of” somebody?

Have you heard this phrase used in English?

This is a phrase that comes up in conversation quite a bit, and it is typically a very positive thing.

Today you will learn how to use this phrase, and special ways that you can highlight somebody special in a fun and significant way.

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Looking At A Common Phrase

Today we are going to speak about the expression “In honor of” as it comes up often in conversation.

You have probably heard people use this phrase, and you may wonder how to use it yourself.

It can be used in a couple of different ways, but you want to start by understanding what it means and how it works.

So what does “in honor of” mean?

It means that you are doing something or putting forth some effort to draw special attention to somebody.

It may be that you are recognizing somebody for their accomplishments, or even their hardships.

It may be that you are highlighting a special cause or showcasing something meaningful in a positive way.

You are drawing attention to this person or this cause because they deserve it or something special has happened.

It may be a milestone, it may be some special accomplishment, or you just may wish to put the spotlight on somebody or something very worthy.

This can be done in a small way, such as between friends.

“In honor of all of your help that you gave to us, I would like to cook you dinner.”

It may be done on a grander scale where you have a built in audience or you are really trying to draw attention to somebody in a big way.

“We are giving you this award in honor of everything you did to support the community.”

This is a phrase that can stand alone, and may be used often in conversation.

There are a variety of different ways and scenarios where you may want to use it, and all of them can apply to special times or circumstances in life.

There are multiple times where this phrase works and they are all quite positive in nature as they are intended to draw people in and highlight something that was done well.

Different Ways To Say This

Though “in honor of” works just fine in conversation, there are other ways to say this.

There are special things that you can do to honor the person or the cause that you are trying to pay tribute to.

These can be reasons to honor somebody, or they can work as different ways to talk about this.

Though the approach or specific ideas may vary, the overall intent is the same—you want to draw attention to somebody for something very positive in nature.

  • Celebrating someone or something : This is usually a special event or something to give this person attention. You are showing your gratitude or honoring them for their accomplishments in a fun way. You can talk about it in a number of ways, which shows just how often this comes up. ‘In honor of your birthday, let’s get two huge plates of brownies.’ ‘Let’s raise a glass in honor of the happy couple.’ “In honor of Halloween, I am going to be wearing orange every day this week.” “We have a luncheon today in honor of our new employees.”
  • Showing appreciation for somebody: It may be for something that somebody has gone through, or it may be to honor somebody who has died. It may be to pay tribute to some special cause, or it may just be that you are trying to show some special effort or initiative. There are a couple of different ways that you could use this in conversation. “I am wearing pink today in honor of my grandma who passed away from breast cancer.” “I am running this marathon in honor of my cousin’s fight with the disease.”
  • As a tribute: This is typically some special event dedicated to this special person or cause. It calls out that special effort in a meaningful way. “We are hosting this ceremony as a tribute to all the hard work our team put in.”

As you can see, there are a variety of different ways that you can use “in honor of” and similar phrases.

Think of the special things that you can do “in honor of” somebody special in your own life, for this can be a very fun thing to do.

Takeaway

When you use “in honor of” you will find that it can be a very useful phrase.

It can be used to toast on happy occasions, talk about respect, share something, or draw special attention to something or somebody.

Think of fun ways to honor somebody and then try it out for a really fun addition to conversation.

This is such a positive thing, and it can be great fun to think of special ways to honor somebody for something meaningful.

If you have any questions, please leave them below in the comments section.

We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

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