# applause

/əˈpɫɔz/ (US) · /ɐplˈɔːz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/applause
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. clapping for praise

noun · CEFR B1

the sound of people clapping their hands to show they enjoyed something.

For teachers: the act of expressing approval or commendation, usually through the collective clapping of hands by an audience.

- The audience broke into loud applause after the pianist finished the final song.
- The speaker's closing remarks were met with a thunderous round of applause that lasted for several minutes.

Usage: This noun is uncountable and does not take a plural form; use 'a round of applause' to count instances.

Teaching tip: Learners often try to say 'applause' as a plural noun; remind them to use 'a round of' or 'much' instead of 'many'.

## Examples

- The audience broke into loud applause after the song.
- The speaker waited for the applause to die down before continuing with the next slide of the presentation.
- Despite the technical glitches during the first act, the cast received a standing ovation and thunderous applause during the final curtain call.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.