paean

/ˈpiən/

Other forms: paeans

A paean is a hymn of praise or thanksgiving. You might sing a paean in church, where many hymns extol the greatness of God.

Paean was originally a song of praise for Apollo, or Paian as he was sometimes called. You can now use paean to mean any song of praise, regardless of the deity, or to mean a formal expression of praise, like a eulogy. At your mother's birthday dinner, it might be nice for you and your brothers and sisters to write and sing a paean to her good-natured love and support of you over many years.

Definitions of paean

1. noun

   (ancient Greece) a hymn of praise (especially one sung in ancient Greece to invoke or thank a deity)
   synonyms: pean

   type of:

   anthem, hymn

   a song of praise (to God or to a saint or to a nation)
2. noun

   a formal expression of praise
   synonyms: encomium, eulogy, panegyric, pean

   type of:

   congratulations, extolment, kudos, praise

   an expression of approval and commendation