INDEX:
1. to praise someone or something
2. to praise someone or something a lot
3. to be praised in newspapers or by many people
4. to praise someone in an insincere way
5. praise that is given to someone or something
6. what you say when you praise someone
7. words for describing statements that praise someone or something
8. words for describing behaviour or actions that deserve praise
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ CRITICIZE
to hit your hands together to show how much you like a performance : ↑ CLAP
see also
↑ ADMIRE
↑ ENTHUSIASTIC/UNENTHUSIASTIC
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1. to praise someone or something
▷ praise /preɪz/ [transitive verb]
to say that you admire someone or approve of something good that they have done :
▪ Fire chiefs praised a 10-year-old girl who saved her brother’s life yesterday.
praise somebody for something
▪ Local people were praised for their calm response to the crisis.
highly praised
▪ His column was a regular and highly praised feature of the newspaper.
▷ congratulate /kənˈgrætʃɑleɪt/ [transitive verb]
to tell someone that you are pleased or impressed because they have achieved something special :
▪ I would like to congratulate all the prizewinners.
congratulate somebody on (doing) something
▪ The President congratulated him on winning the title.
▪ I wrote a letter congratulating him on his appointment.
congratulate somebody for (doing) something
▪ The committee is to be congratulated for presenting its findings in such an informative manner.
▷ compliment /ˈkɒmplɪment, ˈkɒmpləmentǁˈkɑːm-/ [transitive verb]
to tell someone that you like the way they look or that you are pleased with something that they have done :
▪ She blushed when men complimented her.
compliment somebody on something
▪ Everyone complimented me on my new hairstyle.
▷ be complimentary about /biː ˌkɒmplə̇ˈment ə ri əbaʊtǁ-ˌkɑːm-/ [verb phrase]
to say good or approving things about a person or their achievements :
▪ Peter is always very complimentary about your work.
▪ She was actually highly complimentary about you.
▷ say good things about /ˌseɪ gʊd ˈθɪŋz əbaʊt/ [verb phrase]
if you say good things about someone, you praise their abilities, usually in their work :
▪ People are saying really good things about you -- that you are well-trained, are thorough, conscientious...
▷ speak highly of /ˌspiːk ˈhaɪli ɒv/ [verb phrase]
to praise someone or their work because you admire them :
▪ I’m so pleased to meet you -- my wife has always spoken very highly of you.
▪ All her former clients speak highly of her legal skills.
▷ pay tribute to /ˌpeɪ ˈtrɪbjuːt tuː/ [verb phrase]
to praise someone publicly, especially to show respect for them and what they have achieved :
▪ John Motum, presenting the trophy, paid tribute to the players and coaches.
▪ Friends of the actor paid tribute to his talent and expressed shock as news of his death became public.
▷ put in a good word for /ˌpʊt ɪn ə ˌgʊd ˈwɜːʳd fɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]
if someone puts in a good word for you with someone in a position of authority, they praise you to them, especially in order to help you to get a job or to avoid punishment :
▪ The producers told me later that I got the job because Paul put in a good word for me.
put in a good word for somebody with somebody
▪ Can you put in a good word for me with your colleagues on the council?
2. to praise someone or something a lot
▷ be full of praise for /biː ˌfʊl əv ˈpreɪz fɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]
▪ The press were full of praise for the whole production.
▪ Ramsey, who hosts a Christian radio show, is full of praise for the two new congressmen.
▷ sing somebody’s praises /ˌsɪŋ somebodyˈs ˈpreɪzə̇z/ [verb phrase]
to praise someone very highly and very frequently :
▪ Craig adored Jane and would sing her praises to anyone who would listen.
▪ Feminists have long sung the praises of writers such as Germaine Greer and Simone de Beauvoir.
▷ rave about /ˈreɪv əbaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb] informal
to talk or write about something, saying how wonderful you think it is :
▪ Critics are raving about the new show.
▪ I bought some of that Colombian coffee you used to rave about.
▷ glorify /ˈglɔːrɪfaɪ, ˈglɔːrəfaɪ/ [transitive verb]
to praise someone and their achievements very highly, in order to make them seem more important than they really are :
▪ The emperor’s achievements were glorified in numerous poems.
▪ The book is a vain attempt to glorify the name of one of the worst dictators in modern history.
▷ heap/lavish praise on /ˌhiːp, ˌlævɪʃ ˈpreɪz ɒn/ [verb phrase]
to say things that show you admire someone or approve of what they have done :
▪ It’s nice to receive a letter heaping praise on someone for a job well done, for a change.
▪ She is modest and generous, lavishing praise on the musicians she has worked with.
3. to be praised in newspapers or by many people
▷ get a good press /get ə ˌgʊd ˈpres/ [verb phrase]
if something gets a good press, it is praised in the newspapers, on television etc :
▪ I haven’t read it yet, but I know her latest novel got a very good press.
▪ Eastern European cars have never really had a good press in this country.
▷ get rave reviews /get ˌreɪv rɪˈvjuːz/ [verb phrase] informal
if something such as a new book, film, or play gets rave reviews, it is praised a lot in newspapers and magazines :
▪ Her roles in ‘Miami Vice’ and ‘A Room with a View’ got rave reviews.
▪ Despite getting rave reviews, the film was not a box office hit.
▷ acclaimed /əˈkleɪmd/ [adjective]
if something such as a film, performance, or achievement is acclaimed, it is praised publicly by people who have a lot of knowledge about that subject :
highly acclaimed
▪ Paul Simon’s solo career has resulted in a string of highly acclaimed albums.
widely acclaimed
▪ Her work on finding a cure for cancer has been widely acclaimed by her colleagues in the medical profession.
critically acclaimed
praised by critics
▪ ‘The West Wing’ is one of the most critically acclaimed TV series in the USA.
▷ much-praised /ˌmʌtʃ ˈpreɪzd◂/ [adjective]
praised a lot by many people :
▪ They run a much-praised restaurant in Soho.
▪ The Beatles’ album ‘Sergeant Pepper’ was much praised when it first came out.
▷ be hailed as /biː ˈheɪld æz/ [verb phrase]
if something or someone new is hailed as something, they are praised a lot and are called something very good :
▪ She is being hailed as the new Marilyn Monroe.
▪ The new peace agreement is being hailed as a major breakthrough.
▪ When it was first introduced, the birth control pill was hailed as a wonder drug.
4. to praise someone in an insincere way
▷ flatter /ˈflætəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to say nice things that you do not mean about someone, especially in order to get something from them :
▪ Flatter her a little - tell her she’s beautiful.
▪ His flattering comments embarrassed her.
▷ butter up /ˌbʌtər ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb] informal
to say nice things to someone in order to make them do something you want :
butter somebody up
▪ It’s no use trying to butter me up -- I’m not changing my mind.
butter up somebody
▪ The bank has to butter up investors in this fiercely competitive market.
5. praise that is given to someone or something
▷ praise /preɪz/ [uncountable noun]
things you say to someone to show that you admire them or approve of what they have done :
praise for
▪ The police deserve a lot of praise for the way they handled the situation.
win/earn praise
be praised for something
▪ The charity has earned widespread praise for its work.
high praise
praise from someone important or respected
▪ She said you have talent, and that’s high praise coming from a best-selling author like her.
▷ compliment /ˈkɒmplɪmənt, ˈkɒmpləməntǁˈkɑːm-/ [countable noun]
what you say when you tell someone they look nice or they have done something well :
▪ ‘You have lovely hair,’ said Bob to Emma, who blushed at the compliment.
pay/give somebody a compliment
▪ He’s always paying her compliments and buying her flowers.
shower somebody with compliments
give someone a lot of compliments
▪ Rob always showered me with compliments and made me feel special.
▷ flattery /ˈflætəri/ [uncountable noun]
nice things that you say about someone, which may not be true, in order to get something that you want from them :
▪ She used a mixture of persuasion and flattery to get what she wanted.
flattery will get you nowhere
use this to tell someone that flattery will not help them get what they want
▪ I’ll choose the best person for the job, so flattery will get you nowhere.
▷ recognition /ˌrekəgˈnɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
if someone gets recognition for their work, they get praised publicly, often after a long time :
▪ She had to spend 10 years as a struggling artist, before receiving any recognition for her work.
▪ Although he was popular in Europe, Hendrix had yet to achieve recognition in his home country.
▷ commendation /ˌkɒmənˈdeɪʃ ə nǁˌkɑː-/ [countable/uncountable noun] formal
an official statement praising someone, especially someone who has been very brave or very successful :
▪ Patroni received an official commendation after rescuing twelve people from a sinking ship.
▪ After winning the world championship, he received a note of commendation from the President.
6. what you say when you praise someone
▷ well done British /good job American /ˌwel ˈdʌn, ˌgʊd ˈdʒɒbǁ-ˈdʒɑːb/ spoken
say this to someone when they have done something well or succeeded in doing something difficult :
▪ Well done! You got all the answers right.
▪ Good job, John! That was a great shot.
▷ congratulations /kənˌgrætʃɑˈleɪʃ ə nz/
say or write this to someone when they have done something good or special :
▪ Congratulations! Is it a girl or boy?
congratulations on
▪ Congratulations on your new job, Jenny.
congratulations on doing something
▪ Congratulations on passing your driving test.
▷ way to go /ˌweɪ tə ˈgəʊ/ American spoken informal
use this to praise someone who has just done something very good or impressive :
▪ ‘I got accepted at Stanford.’ ‘Way to go!’
▪ Way to go Sam! Nice hit!
7. words for describing statements that praise someone or something
▷ glowing /ˈgləʊɪŋ/ [adjective usually before noun]
full of praise :
▪ Despite glowing reviews about the company’s core businesses, its shares have fallen.
▪ The young soldiers who returned home gave glowing accounts of Paul’s bravery and devotion to duty.
in glowing terms
with words of high praise
▪ Stephen always talks in glowing terms of your work.
glowingly [adverb]
▪ The reviewers spoke glowingly about a young actor named Jack Nicholson.
▷ complimentary /ˌkɒmplɪˈment ə ri◂, ˌkɒmpləˈment ə ri◂ǁˌkɑːm-/ [adjective]
complimentary remarks say good and approving things about someone or their achievements :
highly complimentary
▪ Everything I’ve heard about your work has been highly complimentary.
▷ favourable British /favorable American /ˈfeɪv ə rəb ə l/ [adjective]
favourable reports, remarks etc say good things about the person, film, event etc that they are about :
▪ Responses to his latest movie have generally been favourable.
▪ I don’t want to hear your opinion -- unless it’s favourable of course.
8. words for describing behaviour or actions that deserve praise
▷ commendable /kəˈmendəb ə l/ [adjective] formal
deserving praise :
▪ The headteacher thanked the boys for their efforts, which he said were most commendable.
with commendable speed/patience etc
▪ The whole workforce has adapted to the new computing system with commendable speed.
▪ The police acted with commendable restraint, considering the amount of pressure they were under.
commendably [adverb]
▪ The investigation was commendably thorough.
▷ praiseworthy /ˈpreɪzwɜːʳði/ [adjective]
deserving praise for your actions, efforts, and intentions even if the final result is not always completely successful :
▪ Giving blood is regarded by most people as something praiseworthy.
▪ Negotiators have made a praiseworthy attempt to bring the two sides together.
▷ laudable /ˈlɔːdəb ə l/ [adjective] formal
deserving praise :
▪ Equal pay for equal work is a laudable principle.
▪ Such honesty is laudable and rare.