honeymoon en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈhʌn.iˌmuːn/
- (US) audio
Etymology
From earlier hony moone, originally denoting the period of time following a wedding, equivalent to honey + moon. The original reference was to affection waning like the moon, but later the sense became "the first month, or moon after marriage", which tends to be the sweetest. Compare Middle Low German suckermânt (“honeymoon”, literally “sugar-month”), German Low German Hönnigweken (“honeymoon”, literally “honey-weeks”). The German Honigmond (literally “honey-moon”) is a calque of French lune de miel, itself a calque of the English term.
Meanings
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The period of time immediately following a marriage.
The new minister and his wife were a young, pleasant-faced couple, still on their honeymoon, and full of all good and beautiful enthusiasms for their chosen lifework.
1908 June, L[ucy] M[aud] Montgomery, “Chapter XXII: A New Departure in Flavorings”, in Anne of Green Gables, Boston, Mass.: L[ouis] C[oues] Page & Company, →OCLC:
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A trip taken by a newly married couple during this period.
We went to Greece for our honeymoon.
I will say, 'Sir, I am going to marry your daughter. Be silent, sir! I have decided to do this and I will not be balked by a gouty old father-in-law. I want you to understand that from now on I am the master of this house. You may write out a check for ten thousand dollars for our honeymoon.'
1923, Robert Ervin Howard, Unhand Me, Villain: A Romance:
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(broadly) A period of goodwill at the beginning of a new term or relationship (e.g. towards a newly elected politician or in respect of a new business arrangement).
It suggests any honeymoon for the new government is over, with falls in approval ratings across the board for the senior figures in the cabinet.
2024 September 21, Michael Savage, “Honeymoon over: Keir Starmer now less popular than Rishi Sunak”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:Now that the honeymoon is over, it’s time for us to get down to the business at hand.
The honeymoon period came to a swift end when the legislation was introduced.
But the “honeymoon” was short. The propertied classes wanted merely a political revolution, which would take the power from the Tsar and give it to them. They wanted Russia to be a constitutional Republic, like France or the United States; or a constitutional Monarchy, like England. On the other hand, the masses of the people wanted real industrial and agrarian democracy.
1919, John Reed, Ten Days That Shook the World:It was here, surrounded by such friends, that the distinguished Chief Justice swore me in as Vice President on December 6, 1973. It was here I returned 8 months later as your President to ask not for a honeymoon, but for a good marriage.
1977 January 12, Gerald Ford, Ford's farewell address:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| honeymoons | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
honeyfund · Florida honeymoon · honeymoon palsy · honeymoon whist · honeymoon period · honeymoonlight · Honeymoon Island · honeymoony · weddingmoon · minimoon · honeymoon fly
Descendants
தேனிலவு · luna de miel · mis mêl · 蜜月 · lune de miel · മധുവിധു · 蜜月
Synonyms
Translations (131)
de Flitterwochen (period of time immediately following a marriage) · eu eztei-bidaia (period of time immediately following a marriage) · sv bröllopsresa (trip taken by a newly married couple) · sh bračno putovanje (trip taken by a newly married couple) · hu mézeshetek (period of time immediately following a marriage) · ast Lluna de miel (period of time immediately following a marriage) · sl medeni tedni (period of time immediately following a marriage) · it viaggio di nozze (trip taken by a newly married couple) · ja 蜜月 (period of time immediately following a marriage) · ta தேனிலவு (period of time immediately following a marriage) · eo miela monato (period of time immediately following a marriage) · tr balayı (period of time immediately following a marriage) · ja 新婚 (period of time immediately following a marriage) · cy mis mêl (trip taken by a newly married couple) · lv medus mēnesis (period of time immediately following a marriage) · es viaje de novios (trip taken by a newly married couple) · mt qamar il-għasel (period of time immediately following a marriage) · pt lua de mel (period of time immediately following a marriage) · kk бал айы (trip taken by a newly married couple) · el μήνας του μέλιτος (period of time immediately following a marriage) · tr cicimayı (period of time immediately following a marriage) · hy մեղրամիս (period of unusually good feelings) · da bryllupsrejse (trip taken by a newly married couple) · id bulan madu (period of time immediately following a marriage) · gd mìos nam pòg (trip taken by a newly married couple) · fo hunangsmánaður (period of time immediately following a marriage) · ar شَهْر عَسَل (period of time immediately following a marriage) · fr voyage de noces (trip taken by a newly married couple) · uk весі́льна по́дорож (trip taken by a newly married couple) · pl miesiąc miodowy (trip taken by a newly married couple) · fo brúdleypsferð (trip taken by a newly married couple) · nn bryllaupsreis (trip taken by a newly married couple) · nrf leune dé myi (period of time immediately following a marriage) · be мядо́вы ме́сяц (trip taken by a newly married couple) · nl huwelijksreis (trip taken by a newly married couple) · es luna melera (period of time immediately following a marriage) · eo mielmonato (period of time immediately following a marriage) · ru сва́дебное путеше́ствие (trip taken by a newly married couple) · sh medeni mesec (period of time immediately following a marriage) · eo nuptovojaĝo (trip taken by a newly married couple) · nb hvetebrødsdager (period of time immediately following a marriage) · fo fyrsta hjúnalagstíðin (period of time immediately following a marriage) · cmn 蜜月旅行 (trip taken by a newly married couple) · hu mézeshetek (period of unusually good feelings) · es luna de miel (trip taken by a newly married couple) · pl miesiąc miodowy (period of time immediately following a marriage) · uk медо́вий мі́сяць (period of time immediately following a marriage) · sv smekmånad (period of time immediately following a marriage) · de Flitterwochen (period of unusually good feelings) · ko 신혼 (period of time immediately following a marriage) · cy mis mêl (period of time immediately following a marriage) · ru медо́вый ме́сяц (period of unusually good feelings) · sh медени месец (period of time immediately following a marriage) · eo mielmonato (trip taken by a newly married couple) · hu nászút (trip taken by a newly married couple) · fi häämatka (trip taken by a newly married couple) · pl podróż poślubna (trip taken by a newly married couple) · pt lua de mel (trip taken by a newly married couple) · gd mìos nam pòg (period of time immediately following a marriage) · nn bryllaupsreise (trip taken by a newly married couple) · et mesinädalad (period of time immediately following a marriage) · ru медо́вый ме́сяц (period of time immediately following a marriage) · uk медо́вий мі́сяць (trip taken by a newly married couple) · hy մեղրամիս (period of time immediately following a marriage) · hy մեղրամիս (trip taken by a newly married couple) · be мядо́вы ме́сяц (period of time immediately following a marriage) · de Flitterwochen (trip taken by a newly married couple) · is brúðkaupsferð (trip taken by a newly married couple) · ko 허니문 (period of time immediately following a marriage) · ga mí na meala (period of time immediately following a marriage) · az evliliyin ilk ayı (period of time immediately following a marriage) · fa ماه عسل (period of time immediately following a marriage) · ja 新婚旅行 (trip taken by a newly married couple) · io mieltempo (trip taken by a newly married couple) · nb bryllupsreise (trip taken by a newly married couple) · es luna mielera (period of time immediately following a marriage) · ja ハネムーン (period of time immediately following a marriage) · et mesinädalad (period of unusually good feelings) · ms bulan madu (period of time immediately following a marriage) · is hveitibrauðsdagar (period of time immediately following a marriage) · mk свадбено патување (trip taken by a newly married couple) · es luna de miel (period of time immediately following a marriage) · vo matedatäv (period of time immediately following a marriage) · ms بولن مادو (period of time immediately following a marriage) · vo primagloramuls (period of time immediately following a marriage) · eu ezkon bidaia (trip taken by a newly married couple) · ko 신혼여행 (trip taken by a newly married couple) · io mieltempo (period of time immediately following a marriage) · it luna di miele (period of time immediately following a marriage) · fr lune de miel (period of time immediately following a marriage) · mk меден месец (period of time immediately following a marriage) · he יֶרַח דְּבַשׁ (trip taken by a newly married couple) · cs líbánky (period of time immediately following a marriage) · ko 신혼려행 (trip taken by a newly married couple) · ta தேனிலவு (trip taken by a newly married couple) · sk medové týždne (period of time immediately following a marriage) · be вясе́льнае падаро́жжа (trip taken by a newly married couple) · fi kuherruskuukausi (period of unusually good feelings) · bg ме́ден ме́сец (period of time immediately following a marriage) · tr balayı (trip taken by a newly married couple) · ru медо́вый ме́сяц (trip taken by a newly married couple) · fi kuherruskuukausi (period of time immediately following a marriage) · cmn 蜜月 (period of time immediately following a marriage) · ja ハネムーン (trip taken by a newly married couple) · sh медени мјесец (period of time immediately following a marriage) · id bulan madu (trip taken by a newly married couple) · mi hanimunu (period of time immediately following a marriage) · tl pulot-gata (period of time immediately following a marriage) · sh medeni mjesec (period of time immediately following a marriage) · el μήνας του μέλιτος (trip taken by a newly married couple) · az bal ayı (trip taken by a newly married couple) · sk svadobná cesta (trip taken by a newly married couple) · ca lluna de mel (period of time immediately following a marriage) · et pulmareis (trip taken by a newly married couple) · kk бал айы (period of time immediately following a marriage) · ko 밀월 (period of time immediately following a marriage) · ml മധുവിധു (trip taken by a newly married couple) · ga mí na meala (trip taken by a newly married couple) · sl medeni mesec (period of time immediately following a marriage) · de Hochzeitsreise (trip taken by a newly married couple) · vi tuần trăng mật (period of time immediately following a marriage) · cs svatební cesta (trip taken by a newly married couple) · mn бал сар (period of time immediately following a marriage) · da hvedebrødsdage (period of time immediately following a marriage) · nl wittebroodsweken (period of unusually good feelings) · ka თაფლობისთვე (period of time immediately following a marriage) · ro lună de miere (period of time immediately following a marriage) · nl wittebroodsweken (period of time immediately following a marriage) · vo primagloravigs (period of time immediately following a marriage) · gl lúa de mel (period of time immediately following a marriage) · sh брачно путовање (trip taken by a newly married couple)