adjective

• Conveying good wishes or praise to someone in response to an achievement or special occasion.

  ‘as well as a congratulatory message from the Queen, Elsie received many cards and flowers’

  More example sentences

  • ‘a congratulatory handshake to mark four years of community success’
  • ‘He was among the first to send a congratulatory e-mail to the new CEO.’
  • ‘Secret Service agents whisked her away to take a congratulatory phone call from the president.’
  • ‘She wrote him a congratulatory note the following day.’
  • ‘He gave her a congratulatory pat on the shoulder.’
  • ‘Male and female fans rushed to shake his hand and bestow congratulatory kisses.’
  • ‘Later this month, he will mark his 100th birthday, and friends of his are gathering congratulatory letters and cards from his fans.’
  • ‘I clapped a congratulatory hand on his shoulder before he could continue.’
  • ‘The day after winning, he picked up a congratulatory fax from a financial institution offering an opportunity to discuss funding.’
  • ‘Handed a congratulatory bunch of roses, he observed they were suitably "socialist" red.’
  • ‘The treasury minister was in a congratulatory mood at the association's annual dinner last week.’