💖 A loved person 🍩 A sweet pastry

honeybun

4 5.1

A name people use to show love for a partner, child, or pet

noun
/ˈhʌniˌbʌn/

Informal

: cariño

I can't wait to see you, my honeybun!

Examples

"Have a seat, honeybun," said Brother Gratian.

Fiction book (1998)
Come on, honeybun, time for school.

Fiction book (1999)
So, I guess it's just a matter of time before you're caught, right, honeybun?

Ruthless People (1986)
Did Daddy's little honeybun enjoy her tasty treat?

The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Bye, honeybun.

Parental Guidance (2012)
- Yes, honeybun?

Housesitter (1992)
Hey, honeybun.

Barbershop (2002)
My sweet honeybun.

Fiction book (2001)
"Honeybun, what's wrong?"

Fiction book (1999)
Every morning, I greet my honeybun with a smile.

Synonyms

honey

vshoneybun

Informal

∞ 1.0

A word you use to show love or affection to someone

is used especially to call someone you love like partner, child, or pet

baby

vshoneybun

Informal

∞ 1.0

A word used to show love for a romantic partner

is also applied to children and pets in many cases

darling

vshoneybun

Informal

∞ 1.0

A person you love very much

is used as an everyday address for partner, child, or pet

sweetheart

vshoneybun

Informal

∞ 1.0

A person you love in a romantic way

is used more broadly including children and pets

sweetie

vshoneybun

Informal

558 2.8

A person you love or care for very much

is used similarly but often for partner, child, or pet

babe

vshoneybun

Informal

308 8.1

A name you call someone you love

is used more generally for partners, children, or pets

mimi

vshoneybun

Informal

69 9.5

A small, very cute person or animal that people often call by a nickname

is used more broadly for loved people beyond just cute animals

hon

vshoneybun

Informal

11 8.2

A short, loving name for a partner or close friend

is also used for children or pets in other contexts

sweet pea

vshoneybun

Baby Talk

8 3.0

A loving name adults use for a child or pet

is used more generally for any loved person, including partners

bubby

vshoneybun

Informal

8 9.1

A friendly name for a close friend

is used more widely to name someone loved or a pet

poppet

vshoneybun

Archaic

7 7.8

A small doll or a name for a sweet child

is broader applying to partners and pets as well

lovey

vshoneybun

Informal

5 7.5

A gentle name used for someone you love

is used more widely for children or pets as well as partners

hun

vshoneybun

Informal

5 8.9

A friendly word used to talk to someone you love or care about

is used more widely to call children or pets as well

dovey

vshoneybun

Informal

4 9.5

A person you love and feel close to

is used more broadly for children, friends, or pets as well

bubs

vshoneybun

Informal

3 8.6

A friendly, informal name for a child or close friend

is used equally but also for romantic partners and pets

poochie

vshoneybun

Informal

2 9.1

A loving nickname for a child or someone you love

is used more generally for loved people or pets

babycakes

vshoneybun

Informal

1 8.6

A playful name for a boyfriend or girlfriend

is used more generally for partners, children, or pets

honeybunch

vshoneybun

Informal

1 7.6

A loving name you use for someone you care about

is a general affectionate address used for partner, child, or pet

babydoll

vshoneybun

Informal

1 8.3

A friendly informal name someone uses for a romantic partner

is broader used for loved people beyond attractive young women

ladylove

vshoneybun

Archaic

1 7.8

A woman who is a man's sweetheart

is gender neutral and used for partners, children, or pets

woogie

vshoneybun

Informal

1 9.9

Playful name for a child, partner or close friend

is an everyday affectionate address rather than only a playful nickname

babby

vshoneybun

Informal

9.9

A name someone uses to show love for a partner or close friend

is also used to address children or pets in casual speech

babs

vshoneybun

Informal

9.9

A loving nickname for a baby or someone close to you

is used more broadly to call partners, children, or pets

popsy

vshoneybun

Informal

8.7

A friendly loving name for a child or someone you love

is also used for romantic partners and for pets

sweetling

vshoneybun

Archaic

8.1

A loving name for someone you care about

is used more generally to address any loved person

Surface Forms

honeybun singular

honeybuns plural

Morphology

honeybun = honey + bun (semi-transparent) = honey + bun

The affectionate sense is a figurative extension from the pastry/sweetness sense, so the components suggest 'sweet' but the pet-name usage is idiomatic rather than a literal compound meaning.

Etymology

Honeybun is also used as a loving name for someone; it comes from the pastry image, so calling a person honeybun compares them to a sweet treat like 'honey' or 'sweetie', which is why the word shows affection.