What does honey mean?
Honey is the sweet substance that bees collect from flower nectar and transform into a thick, aromatic food. In everyday use it can refer to the substance itself, as in honey on toast or a jar of honey, but it also serves as an affectionate endearment, comparable to "darling" or "dear." Figuratively, the word can describe something exceptionally pleasing, appealing, or financially advantageous. These meanings share a strong association with sweetness and pleasure. Honey is also used in a number of familiar compounds and animal names, including honey badger, honey fungus, and honeycomb. The word combines a concrete culinary meaning with an emotional and figurative vocabulary of affection, delight, and reward.
A thick, sweet substance produced by bees from flower nectar and used as food.
"The bakery sells bread, preserves, and local honey."
The plural is "honeys."
An affectionate term of address for a person regarded with endearment.
"Come here, honey, and let me show you the photograph."
Informal and affectionate; it may sound especially old-fashioned in some regions.
Something regarded as exceptionally sweet, pleasant, or profitable.
"The subscription service proved to be a honey for the publisher."
Figurative and often informal or mildly old-fashioned.
To sweeten or make appealing with honey or a similar sweetness; figuratively, to flatter or address someone affectionately.
"He honeyed his refusal with an apology."
Less common than the noun; the figurative sense is literary or deliberately affectionate.
The plural is used for multiple quantities or containers of honey and, occasionally, for beloved people addressed affectionately.
"The shop sells honeys from several local apiaries."
Honey is one of nature's oldest sweeteners, and the word still carries the warmth of an affectionate endearment.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does honey come from?
The English word descends from Old English hunig, the word used for the substance produced by bees. Its wider Germanic relatives include forms such as German Honig and Dutch honing, although the precise prehistoric development of the word is not entirely certain. The modern spelling developed through the influence of other words ending in -ey, especially "honey"'s eventual form and the related pattern represented by "money." From early Middle English, the word was also used figuratively for something sweet or attractive.
Related word forms
How honey is actually used
The affectionate sense is familiar and usually warm, though it can sound old-fashioned in formal contexts. The figurative sense often implies great profit or benefit, especially in phrases such as "a money-making honey." The verb is relatively uncommon outside of literary or deliberately affectionate usage.
Easily confused with honey
Honey is a sweet substance produced by bees, whereas money is the currency used to buy goods and services.