Word
praise
US/ˈpɹeɪz/
UK/pɹˈeɪz/
Definitions
01to express approval
B1 · Intermediate
v. to say that someone or something is very good.
v. to express warm approval or admiration of someone or something. Transitive — requires a direct object.
“The teacher praised the students for their hard work on the project.”
“The critics praised the director's innovative use of lighting, noting that it transformed an otherwise conventional script into a visual masterpiece.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'for' to indicate the reason for the approval.
Synonyms
02to worship
B2 · Upper Intermediate Religion
v. to show respect and love for a god through words or song.
v. to glorify or express adoration for a deity as an act of worship.
“The congregation gathered to praise God through hymns and prayer.”
“The ancient text contains several psalms intended to praise the creator for the abundance of the harvest.”
03words of approval
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. words that show you admire someone or something.
n. the expression of approval or admiration. Uncountable when referring to the concept; countable when referring to specific instances.
“The young artist received a lot of praise for her first exhibition.”
“Despite the widespread praise from the public, the author remained modest about the impact of his latest novel.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “praise” in context.
Verb
01. highly praise the performance
“Critics highly praised the performance of the lead actress in the new drama.”
adv + verb + noun
02. lavishly praise the new design
“The media lavishly praised the new design of the city's central library.”
adv + verb + noun
03. praise the student for her hard work
“The teacher praised the student for her hard work throughout the semester.”
verb + noun + prep + possessive + adj + noun
Adjective
04. faint praise
“The reviewer gave the book faint praise, calling it 'readable but uninspired'.”
adj + noun
05. high praise
“Winning the award was high praise for the young scientist's research.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. chorus of praise
“A chorus of praise followed the announcement of the new environmental policy.”
noun + of + noun
07. words of praise
“The coach had many words of praise for the team after their unexpected victory.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
08. in praise of the hero
“The poet wrote a beautiful sonnet in praise of the hero's bravery.”
prep + noun + prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“In a social media post, the president scolded South Korea for not helping denuclearize Iran, and also praised North Korea and its leader.” “In 1787, Jefferson praised newspapers and the free press .” Etymology
From Middle English praise, preyse, from the verb (see below). Doublet of prize. Displaced native Middle English lof from Old English lof (“praise”) and Middle English loenge, loange from Old French löenge, löange (“praise”).
From Middle English praisen, preisen, from Old French proisier, preisier (“to value, prize”), from Late Latin pretiō (“to value, prize”) from pretium (“price, worth, reward”). Displaced native Middle English herien from Old English herian (“to praise”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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