praise

1. verb

1)

the police praised Pauline for her courage

Syn:

commend, express admiration for, applaud, pay tribute to, speak highly of, eulogize, compliment, congratulate, sing the praises of, rave about, go into raptures about, heap praise on, wax lyrical about, make much of, pat on the back, take one's hat off to, lionize, admire, hail, ballyhoo; formal laud

Ant:

criticize, condemn

2)

we praise God

Syn:

worship, glorify, honor, exalt, adore, pay tribute to, give thanks to, venerate, reverence; formal laud; archaic magnify

2. noun

1)

your praise means a great deal to us

Syn:

approval, acclaim, admiration, approbation, acclamation, plaudits, congratulations, commendation; tribute, accolade, compliment, a pat on the back, eulogy, panegyric; formal encomium

2)

give praise to God

Syn:

honor, thanks, glory, worship, devotion, adoration, reverence

••

acclaim, commend, eulogize, extol, laud

If your dog sits when you tell him to sit, you'll want to praise him for his obedience. Praise is a general term for expressing approval, esteem, or commendation that usually suggests the judgment of a superior (the teacher's praise for her students). If a salesperson goes out of his way to help you, you may want to commend him to his superior, which is a more formal, public way of praising someone, either verbally or in writing. If you're watching a performance and want to express your approval verbally or with applause, acclaim is the verb you're looking for. Laud and extol suggest the highest of praise, although laud may imply that the praise is excessive (the accomplishments for which she was lauded were really nothing out of the ordinary). Extol, which comes from the Latin meaning to raise up, suggests that you're trying to magnify whatever or whomever you're praising (to extol her virtues so that everyone would vote for her). If you want to praise someone who has died recently, you will eulogize him or her, which means to speak or write your praise for a special occasion, such as a funeral.