Meanings
alternative honni soit qui mal y pense
- The motto of the British chivalric Order of the Garter, still used in the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom.
I am at this period, viz. in 1812, living in a cottage; and with a single female servant (honi soit qui mal y pense), who, amongst my neighbours, passes by the name of my "housekeeper."
1821 September–October, [Thomas De Quincey], “[Part II.] Introduction to the Pains of Opium.”, in Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, 2nd edition, London: […] [J. Moyes] for Taylor and Hessey, […], published 1823, →OCLC, page 119Synonyms: evil be to him who evil thinks, evil to him that evil thinks, shame be to him who thinks evil of it, shame to him who thinks ill of it
Synonyms & antonyms
phraseThe motto of the British chivalric Order of the Garter, still used in the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom.
Origin
- Middle Frenchhoni soit qui mal y pense
- Englishhoni soit qui mal y pense
Borrowed from Middle French honi soit qui mal y pense (literally “shamed be whoever thinks bad of it” or “shame be to him who thinks evil of it”).
More words from Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch schande over wie er kwaad van denkt
- schande over wie er kwaad van denkthoni soit qui mal y pense
Esperanto honton al tiu, kiu pensas malbonon
- honton al tiu, kiu pensas malbononhoni soit qui mal y pense
French honi soit qui mal y pense, honni soit qui mal y pense
- honi soit qui mal y pensehoni soit qui mal y pense
- honni soit qui mal y pensehoni soit qui mal y pense
German ein Schelm, der Böses dabei denkt
- ein Schelm, der Böses dabei denkthoni soit qui mal y pense
Hungarian rossz az, aki rosszra gondol
- rossz az, aki rosszra gondolhoni soit qui mal y pense
Polish hańba temu, kto widzi w tym coś nieprzystojnego
- hańba temu, kto widzi w tym coś nieprzystojnegohoni soit qui mal y pense
Portuguese execrado seja quem nisto vê malícia
- execrado seja quem nisto vê malíciahoni soit qui mal y pense
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with honi soit qui mal y pense
All rhymes →Cite this entry
honi soit qui mal y pense. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/honi%20soit%20qui%20mal%20y%20pense
“honi soit qui mal y pense.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/honi%20soit%20qui%20mal%20y%20pense. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “honi soit qui mal y pense,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/honi%20soit%20qui%20mal%20y%20pense.
Source: honi soit qui mal y pense on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.