tribute
noun
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Tribute originally took the form of things given from a weaker group to the dominant power of a region—a bit like the "protection money" the Mafia gets from small businesses after making them offers they can't refuse, though the older form of tribute actually did buy the weaker group some protection from enemy forces. Tribute could come in the form of valuables, cattle, or even produce, and might include the loan of warriors to strengthen the ruler's army. But when we "pay tribute" today, it's generally in the form of praise. And when we say, for instance, that a successful school "is a tribute to" the vision of its founder, we mean that its success is itself a form of praise for the person who founded it. And a "tribute band" is a rock group intended to honor a great band of the past.
Synonyms
Examples of tribute in a Sentence
Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024
Throughout the chat, the group named some of their favorite guest stars (Mel Brooks, Bruce Springsteen and Michael J. Fox were mentioned) and paid tribute to late co-star Richard Lewis.
—Kirsten Chuba, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2024
The Tutti Frutti trio The Tutti Frutti trend comes in three forms: the mono-fruit (think a mani that pays tribute to mangoes); the multi-fruit (say, cherries and berries); and the fruit salad (when each nail is dedicated to a different fruit).
—Laura Solla, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2024
Bib Gourmands Florida also has 33 restaurants dubbed Bib Gourmands, a designation that pays tribute to restaurants with good quality cuisine at a good value.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 2024
While paying tribute to his time on the hit series, the actor opened up about how he's been impacted by the role after playing young Sheldon Cooper after all these years.
—Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
Those can pay tribute to all of the singer/songwriter’s gold and platinum albums and her 14 Grammy Award wins (and counting).
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Apr. 2024
In another hopeful sign, this year’s Oscars included a special tribute to the stunt community, presented by Blunt and Gosling and produced by Leitch and McCormick.
—Josh Rottenberg, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Led by Keith’s longtime friends Brooks & Dunn and Sammy Hagar as well as Lainey Wilson, whom Keith mentored, the tribute was supported by Keith’s longtime backing band.
—Joe Lynch, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tribute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Tribute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tribute. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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tribute
noun
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