Meaning & use
tributes
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“tributes” is a form of “tribute”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountable
Words or actions that show admiration or thanks, especially for someone who has died or is leaving.
Grammar: Plural of tribute; often follows pay or pour in: tributes poured in.
Patterns
- pay tributes to someone
- tributes to someone
Tributes poured in from fans around the world after the singer died.
Colleagues paid warm tributes to her at the retirement party.
The speeches were moving tributes to the teacher's patience.
nouncountableformal
Payments of money or goods that a weaker ruler or people gave to a stronger one for protection or peace.
Grammar: A historical use, often appearing in discussion of empires.
Patterns
- pay tributes to someone
The conquered cities sent yearly tributes of grain to the emperor.
Smaller kingdoms offered gold tributes to keep the peace.
Historians study how tributes shaped trade routes.
Common combinations
- pay tributes
- Mourners paid tributes at the memorial.
- tributes pour in
- Tributes poured in from across the country.
- floral tributes
- Floral tributes covered the steps of the theater.
- glowing tributes
- Her coach offered glowing tributes at the ceremony.
- tributes to someone
- Many tributes to the late mayor were read aloud.
Synonyms and how they differ
- homage
- Homage is more formal and suggests deep respect shown in public, while tributes often takes the form of simple statements or flowers.
- honors
- Honors usually refers to official awards, while tributes is a looser word for any expression of respect.
- accolades
- Accolades are praise or awards for achievement, usually given to someone living.
- remembrances
- Remembrances emphasize memory of someone gone, and need not include praise.
Opposites
Word family
- tribute noun
- singular; praise or a payment
- tributary noun
- a small river that flows into a larger one, or a state that pays tribute
- contribute verb
- to give to a common effort
- attribute verb
- to say something is caused by or belongs to
Commonly confused: tributes or tributary?
tributes vs tributary
A tributary is a stream flowing into a larger river. Tributes are praise or payments.
Practice
After the beloved coach retired, fans paid warm ____ to him on social media.
Choose one answer.
Tributes are expressions of admiration. Tributaries are streams, attributes are qualities, and contributes is a verb, so none fit the sentence.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tributes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.