hon

Shortened from honey.

The transgender slang sense derives from the supposedly abundant use of "hon" as a term of address by older transgender women, presumably as a way to verbally affect a femininity they are otherwise perceived by some to lack (due to not passing well), and is especially associated with the cliché phrase "you look great, hon". Derogatory sense likely came about from users of 4chan's /lgbt/ board mocking the discourse on transgender forum Susan's Place.

• hun

• enPR: hŭn, IPA^(key): /hʌn/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• (Northern England, Ireland) IPA^(key): /hʊn/
• Rhymes: -ʌn
• Homophones: hun, Hun

hon (plural hons)

1. A term of endearment; Honey, sweetheart

   Hey, hon! How was your day at work?

   1. (Southern US) A friendly term of address.
3. (4chan /lgbt/ slang, derogatory, offensive) A trans woman who does not pass; a clocky trans woman.

   Antonym: passoid

   This youngshit mogs me: I'm such a hon.

   • 2015 October 18, anonymous author, 4chan‎^[2], /lgbt/:

     If you didn't experience that you'll end up one of those ugly SJW programmer transbian hons with dyed hair sucking each other's dicks while acting like men in every way possible.

   • [2018 June 10, @addamschloe, Twitter‎^[3], archived from the original on 7 May 2022:

     [cw anti-trans slurs] I get that they're rarer than 'trap' (being used to describe trans women as intentional deceivers) but I'd like it if people could be equally hostile to the terms 'brick' and 'hon' honestly / it's all transmisic garbage]

   • [2018 July 10, @addamschloe, Twitter‎^[4], archived from the original on 5 June 2021:

     'brick' refers to a trans woman who doesn't 'pass', 'hon' refers to a trans woman who doesn't pass and also is nice to other trans women who don't pass, particularly used against older trans women]

   • 2020 May 12, @MsBdUnicorn, Twitter‎^[5], archived from the original on 20 February 2023:

     Consider the fact that /tttt/ calls any positive trans space a hugbox full of hons. We're still hung up about passing and it's so pathetic.

   • 2022 June 2, @stacycay, Twitter‎^[6], archived from the original on 15 November 2022:

     listen hon, if you're a "biological boy" that's cool and all but the rest of us are trans women.

   • [2022 September 16, @mishawave, Twitter‎^[7], archived from the original on 15 November 2022:

     i feel like that depends on how you're using it. referring to yourself as a "hon", or using it as a joke, sure. but calling other trans people hons directly or indirectly is a bit far imo. it's an insult about something specific, so it's different from general slurs like "tranny"]

   • 2019 April 16, Andrea James, “Transgender slang, slurs, and controversial words”, in Transgender Map‎^[8], archived from the original on 8 April 2023:

     It [the word "hon"] comes from the cliché, "You look great, hon," which is often used by older transitioners who do not "pass."

   • 2018 August 17, Natalie Wynn, 24:45 from the start, in Incels‎^[9], ContraPoints:

     On TTTT, a major piece of jargon is "hon," a slur used by trans women for other trans women.

The laugh probably originated as a parody of French singer and actor Maurice Chevalier (1888–1972) who was noted for his strong accent in English, and does not represent a typical French laugh.^[1] The stereotype was popularized in Internet memes in the mid-2000s and 2010s.^[2]

• IPA^(key): /hɔ̃/

hon

2. (humorous) Representing a stereotypical French laugh.

   Hon hon hon, oui oui baguette!

   • 1981 June 12, History of the World, Part I‎^[10], Mel Brooks (actor):

     She's right! We all talk like Maurice Chevalier! Hon hon hon!

   • 2020 May 28, “The sex scandals, walkouts and boos of Cannes Film Festival”, in New York Post‎^[11], New York, N.Y.: News Corp, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 18 August 2022:

     What cinephiles have missed most this spring are the cries of "hon hon hon!" — the bitchy sound of French laughter — bellowing from the Côte d'Azur.

   • 2023 August 18, Kyle Buchanan, “Uma Thurman's 'Red, White & Royal Blue' Accent Is One to Savor”, in The New York Times‎^[12], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 22 September 2023:

     [Ridley] Scott once said that forcing French accents on the stars of "The Last Duel" would have been "a disaster," but on that count, I beg to differ. Imagine Ben Affleck winding up to crucial lines with a snooty "a-hon-hon-hon!" Now that you have, you won't want to go without.

Clipping of come on with devoicing of /m/. Compare c'mon.

• 'hon, h'on

• (Ireland) IPA^(key): /hmɒn/, /hɒn/, [m̥ɑn]
• Rhymes: -ɒn

hon

1. (Ireland, slang); (typically) cheering a sports team, especially a GAA team; exhortation or encouragement come on; congratulations well done, bravo.
   • 2013 September 9, Rosita Boland, “Feelings of relief and anti-climax in Ennis car park”, in The Irish Times:

     “Hon the Banner!” is the single-minded mantra being roared everywhere else.

   • 2016 August 17, Jennifer Dollard "Seagulls cover Beastie Boys' 'Sabotage'" Today FM:

     We're not normally impressed by this kind of stuff but h'on the lads! This is pretty good.

   • 2017 March 16, Amy O'Connor, “GQ did a swanky photoshoot in loads of Dublin pubs with the star of Beauty and the Beast”, in Daily Edge:

     To coincide with the film’s release, GQ recently enlisted the actor to take part in a photoshoot in some of Dublin’s most beloved pubs. ... Hon Dublin!

   • 2017 April 7, Johnny Watterson, John O'Sullivan, “Liveblog: US Masters: Day One”, in The Irish Times:

     22:23 BIRDIE: Lowry (-2) can't find the bottom of the cup with his eagle putt but taps in for birdie. Hon the Offalyman. He's one behind the leaders, McGirt and Hoffman

hon (plural hons)

1. Alternative form of hoon (“Indian gold coin”).

• NOH, Noh, noh, ohn

Compare Welsh ein. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

• IPA^(key): /ɔ̃n/

hon

1. our

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈon]

hon

1. archaic form of on

• “hon” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Clipping of English honours degree.

hon

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese, education) (classification of) honours degree

   first hon畢業／first hon毕业 [Hong Kong Cantonese]  ―  first on¹ bat¹ jip⁶ [Jyutping]  ―  to graduate with a first-class honour degree

   冇hon [Hong Kong Cantonese]  ―  mou⁵ on¹ [Jyutping]  ―  [degree] without honours classification

From Old Czech hon, from Proto-Slavic *gonъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *gánas, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰónos.

• IPA^(key): [ˈɦon]

hon m inan

1. hunt, chase

   hon na lišku ― fox hunt

• While lov may refer to any kind of hunting, hon refers only to those which involve chasing such as of ducks or fox.

• “hon”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “hon”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “hon”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

From Old Norse hón, from Proto-Germanic *hēnō. Cognate with Icelandic hún, Danish hun and Norwegian Bokmål hun.

• IPA^(key): [hoːn]

hon

1. she

• IPA^(key): /ɔ̃/

• Audio (France):

  (file)

• Audio (France):

  (file)

• Audio (Canada):

  (file)

Imitative.

hon

1. (dated) Representing laughter; ha, hon

Borrowed from English hon.

hon f (plural hons)

2. (4chan /lgbt/ slang, derogatory, offensive) hon

• “hon”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

From the archaic honn (“at home”).

• IPA^(key): [ˈhon]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -on

hon (plural honok)

1. (literary) home, homeland, fatherland

   Synonym: haza

• (homeland): hon in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.
• (alternative form of honn (“at home”, rare, archaic)): hon in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.

• honn (Altenhofen spelling)

From Central Franconian han, from Middle High German hān, from Old High German habēn, from Proto-West Germanic *habbjan, from Proto-Germanic *habjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *kap-.^[1]

Cognate with German haben, Luxembourgish hunn and Pennsylvania German hawwe.

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɔn/
• Rhymes: -ɔn
• Syllabification: hon

hon

1. to have

   Ich hon en gros Haus.

   I have a big house.

   Hod-der Zeid fer mich se hellfe?

   Do you have time to help me?

   Ich had en komischer Draam gester Nacht.

   I had a weird dream last night.

2. (auxiliary, with a past participle) to have (forms the perfect)

   Er hod es gemach.

   He has done it.

• hún
• hón (archaic)

From the archaic form hón.

hon (personal pronoun):

1. (archaic) she

hon

1. Rōmaji transcription of ほん

From English horn.

• IPA^(key): /ˈhon/ [ˈhon]

hon (Jawi spelling هون, plural hon-hon)

1. automobile horn

   Synonym: klakson (Indonesian)

• “hon” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.

Borrowed from Middle Irish úain (“time”), from Old Irish úan (“loan”), from oidid (“to lend”). Compare Irish uain (“loan, time, leisure”), Scottish Gaelic on, oin (“loan, laziness”).

• one, hoyne, hune

• IPA^(key): /hoːn/
• (Northern) IPA^(key): /hyːn/

hon (uncountable)

1. (Northern, North Midland) delay, hesitation

• honen

• Scots: hune

• “họ̄ne, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

hon

1. alternative form of honen (“to linger”)

hon

1. alternative form of on

hon

1. alternative form of on

hon

1. alternative form of on

hon

1. alternative form of hond

hon

1. (Early Middle English) alternative form of hongen

From Proto-West Germanic *hą̄han.

• IPA^(key): /xoːn/, [hoːn]

hōn (transitive)

1. to hang
2. to suspend

• The intransitive equivalent is hangian.

• āhōn
• behōn
• ġehōn
• ymbhōn

• henġen

• Middle English: hōn, hangen, hongen (merger with hangian)
  • English: hang
  • Scots: hang

hon m

1. alternative form of hom

• ᚼᚮᚿ

From Old Norse hón, from Proto-Germanic *hēnō.

• IPA^(key): /hɒ̃ːn/

hōn

1. she

• Swedish: hon

Cognate with Assamese কোন (kün), Hindi कौन (kaun), Romani kon.

hon

1. who

From Old Swedish hōn, from Old Norse hón, from Proto-Germanic *hēnō (compare *ainaz). Cognate with Icelandic hún, Danish hun and Norwegian Bokmål hun.

• IPA^(key): /hʊn/, [hʊnː]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʊn

hon

1. she; the third-person, singular, feminine pronoun in the nominative case

   Hon är mycket vacker.

   She is very beautiful.

2. it (for certain nouns that were feminine in Old Swedish)

   Vad är hon?

   What (time) is it?

   Går hon bra?

   Is it (the car) working all right?

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

• IPA^(key): /huːn/
• Rhymes: -uːn

hon

1. definite singular of ho

• hon in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• hon in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• hon in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

From Middle High German haben, from Old High German havēn, northern variant of habēn.

• Audio:

  (file)

hon

1. to have

From Proto-Celtic *sindos. Compare hyn (“these”).

• IPA^(key): /hɔn/
• Rhymes: -ɔn

hon f

1. (formal) (in conjunction with the definite article y) this

   Mae'r nofel hon yn well o lawer na'r nofel honno.

   This novel is a lot better than that novel.

   Mae'r holl sefyllfa hon yn benbleth fawr.

   This entire situation is real condundrum.

• Refers to grammatically feminine singular nouns, hwn (“this”) being the masculine singular and hyn (“this”) the (masculine and feminine) plural equivalents.
• In informal language, hon as a determiner is replaced with yma (“there”) used in conjunction with the definite article y, or in some southern dialects with the definite article and hyn.

  (formal) y ddadl hon ― this debate

  = (informal) y ddadl 'ma

  = (South Wales, informal) y ddadl hyn

  (formal) yr eiliad hon ― this second

  = (informal) yr eiliad 'ma

  = (South Wales, informal) yr eiliad hyn

hon f

1. this

   Mae hon yn well o lawer na honno.

   This is a lot better than that.

   Mae hon yn benbleth fawr.

   This is real condundrum.

• Refers to grammatically feminine singular nouns, hwn (“this”) being the masculine singular equivalent. In addition, hyn (“this”) is used nonreferentially, for example, when talking about a general situation, action or event, rather than any particular noun.

• hwn (“this”); hyn (“this; these”)
• hwnna, honna, hynna, hwnnw, honno (“that”); hynny (“that; those”)
• y rhain (“these”)
• y rheina, y rheini, y rheiny (“those”)

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “hon”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

hon

1. First person dual subject (medial position)

   we two

2. First person plural subject (medial position)

   we (three or more)

• ho'na'
• ho'n'aawan