accolade
- 01 C1 Advanced
n.an award, prize, or special praise given to someone for their success.
n.an expression of approval, a special acknowledgment, or an award for merit.
Simple“The young scientist received the highest accolade for her research on climate change.”
In context“Winning the Booker Prize is considered the ultimate accolade for any novelist writing in the English language.”
UsageOften used with the verbs 'receive', 'win', or 'bestow'.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
n.a ceremony where someone is made a knight, usually by a light touch on the shoulder with a sword.
n.a ceremonial salutation marking the conferring of knighthood, typically involving a light blow on the shoulders with the flat of a sword.
Simple“The queen gave the soldier the accolade during the ceremony at the palace.”
In context“The historical drama meticulously recreated the moment the squire received the accolade, transitioning from a commoner to a knight of the realm.”
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a vertical line or bracket that joins two or more lines of music to be played together.
n.a brace or curly bracket used to join two or more staves in a musical score, indicating they should be performed simultaneously.
Simple“The pianist noticed that the accolade on the first page was printed incorrectly.”
In context“In complex orchestral scores, the accolade helps the conductor quickly identify which instruments are grouped into a single section.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a decorative curve used in buildings, often above a door or window.
n.an ornament composed of two ogee curves meeting in the middle, typically found in Gothic architecture.
Simple“The old stone doorway was decorated with a beautiful accolade.”
In context“The restoration team spent weeks repairing the crumbling accolade above the cathedral's north entrance to preserve the original Gothic aesthetic.”
Synonymsmouldingogee - 05 C2 Proficiency
v.to give someone a lot of praise or a special award.
v.to confer praise, awards, or high honors upon an individual or entity.
Simple“The director was accoladed by his peers for his lifetime of work in film.”
In context“Though the author was widely accoladed by critics, he remained humble and rarely made public appearances.”
“His 1975 debut album, also titled Out of Hand, won critical accolades and She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Doubles) topped the country charts in the same year.”
“A potential deal for Fernandez seems to rely on City selling Spain midfielder Rodri, officially the best player at the 2026 World Cup among numerous other accolades, to Barcelona.”
First use appears c. 1591 in the publications of Thomas Lodge, borrowed from French accolade, from Occitan acolada (“an embrace”), from acolar (“to embrace”), from Italian accollato, from Vulgar Latin *accollō (“to hug around the neck”), from Latin ad- + collum (“neck”) (English collar).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.