pay respect
Acknowledge with deference
To pay respect is to honor someone or something, typically through formal acknowledgment or ceremony.
You pay respect to elders, traditions, or the deceased: We stopped to pay our respects at his grave.
The phrase often appears in the plural—paying respects suggests a visit or gesture of honor: Mourners came to pay their respects to the family.
- saluteGestural sign of honor
- bowRespectful forward inclination
- head bowedFace angled downward
- obeisanceGesture of reverence
- homageExpression of deep respect
tribute · grave · vigil · kneel · reverence · acknowledgment · doff · wreath · eulogy · admiration · genuflect · moment of silence · two-minute silence · honor · silence · memorial · observance · funeral
pay respectinsult
Offensive remark or action
disrespect · dishonor · humiliate · demean · belittle
pay respectignore
Refuse to notice
snub · give the cold shoulder · brush off · overlook · turn one's back on
pay, respect, pays, paying, payable, payment, payer, payee, repay