# congrats

/kənˈɡɹæts/ (US) · /kənɡɹˈæts/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/congrats
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. well done

interjection · CEFR B1 · Informal

a short way to say 'congratulations' to someone.

For teachers: an informal exclamation used to express praise for an achievement or good fortune.

- Congrats on passing your driving test on the first try.
- Congrats on the promotion; the entire department is thrilled to see your hard work finally recognised by the board.

Usage: Often followed by the preposition 'on' plus a noun or gerund.

Teaching tip: While common in speech and social media, students should use the full word 'congratulations' in professional emails or formal letters.

## Examples

- Congrats on your new job!
- I sent a quick text saying congrats when I heard she passed her driving test.
- While a formal letter requires the full term, a simple congrats on a social media post is perfectly appropriate for a friend's engagement.

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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.