Definition

1. Noun:
   • A formal expression of praise: A speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly.
   • (Ancient Greece) A hymn of praise: Specifically, a song or chant of praise, especially one sung in ancient Greece to invoke or thank a deity.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The retiring professor was honored with a heartfelt pean from her colleagues.
  • The poet composed a pean celebrating the nation's victory.
  • In the ceremony, the priest sang a pean to Apollo, thanking the god for the harvest.

Advanced Usage

• As a literary or rhetorical device: A pean is often used in formal contexts, such as eulogies, award ceremonies, or dedicatory texts, to offer lavish commendation.
  • The biography reads like a pean to the artist's creative genius, overlooking his personal flaws.

Variants and Related Words

• Paean: This is the standard and more common modern spelling of the word. "Pean" is a variant spelling.
  • The documentary was a paean to the natural beauty of the coastline.

Synonyms

• Encomium: A formal expression of high praise.
• Eulogy: A speech or writing in praise of a person, typically someone who has just died.
• Panegyric: A public speech or published text in praise of someone or something.
• Tribute: An act, statement, or gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect, or admiration.
• Hymn: A religious song of praise, which aligns with the word's ancient Greek origin.

Notes on Meaning

• The core meaning revolves around formal praise. While the ancient Greek context specifies a religious hymn, the modern usage is broader, applying to any elaborate tribute.
• It is important to distinguish a pean/paean (an expression of praise) from a paeon (a metrical foot in poetry consisting of one long syllable and three short syllables).

Noun

1. a formal expression of praise
2. (ancient Greece) a hymn of praise (especially one sung in ancient Greece to invoke or thank a deity)