Home US English praise

Definition of praise in English:

praise

Pronunciation /prāz/ /preɪz/

Translate praise into Spanish

transitive verb

[with object]

  • 1Express warm approval or admiration of.

    ‘we can't praise Chris enough—he did a brilliant job’
    • ‘People appreciate and praise her, are warmed by her smile and nourished by her soup.’
    • ‘Widely praised by the critics, Paul has developed a distinctive voice and shows great potential.’
    • ‘Its dedicated team cannot be praised enough for all that it has achieved and what it continues to strive for.’
    • ‘Johnson's work was highly praised by critics and showered with awards.’
    • ‘The production values of the edition were lavish and were widely praised by reviewers.’
    • ‘The report has also praised the quality of the service's ensembles, some of which have gained national recognition.’
    • ‘Inspectors also praised the good behaviour of the pupils and their enthusiasm for learning.’
    • ‘The facility has been widely praised for its work.’
    • ‘Bradford bus chiefs today praised an initiative to curb bad behaviour on school vehicles.’
    • ‘And police today praised the high quality of information from tip-offs which has led to the surge in arrests.’
    • ‘She said the miniature displays had been particularly praised by the judge.’
    • ‘She recalls a performance by a fading opera star who despite a poor performance was praised to the heavens.’
    • ‘But the children have been warmly praised for their sensible actions in passing the information on to school authorities.’
    • ‘Eight youth projects from across the country were praised yesterday for their inspirational qualities at a ceremony in London.’
    • ‘She has praised all who help with the event in any way.’
    • ‘Firefighters praised staff for their swift actions in getting everyone to safety.’
    • ‘Both films were praised to the skies; and indeed, they are very accomplished.’
    • ‘How highly can we praise what, at root, is a very nicely executed imitation?’
    • ‘However, he did praise the efforts of the forwards who never stopped working.’
    • ‘Roosevelt has long been praised for his actions, but let us be clear.’
    commend, express approval of, express admiration for, applaud, pay tribute to, speak highly of, eulogize, compliment, congratulate, celebrate, sing the praises of, praise to the skies, rave about, go into raptures about, heap praise on, wax lyrical about, say nice things about, make much of, pat on the back, take one's hat off to, throw bouquets at, lionize, admire, hail, cheer, flatter
    View synonyms
    1. 1.1Express one's respect and gratitude toward (a deity), especially in song.
      ‘we praise God for past blessings’
      • ‘When we have a good destiny, filled with joy and happiness, wealth and prosperity, we rejoice and praise the deity we worship.’
      • ‘Since the age of 11, he has been holding programmes where he sings songs praising the Goddess.’
      • ‘Of course, senility will come soon, and I praise the Goddess it has held off until now.’
      • ‘If only a person has eyes through which he can really see, there is a doubtless reality that every particle of this universe glorifies and praises the Almighty, offers his gratitude and bows down before Him.’
      • ‘When we use our limbs in accord with the sacred laws of nature, every action worships and praises the omniscient Divinity in all things.’
      • ‘We glorify him when we praise him, recount his blessings to us, and thank him for them.’
      • ‘Finally, Pentecost reminds us that each day is an opportunity to worship and praise God.’
      • ‘The rituals shown were just three examples of the many ways we can worship and praise God for his gifts.’
      • ‘Its purpose is to worship and praise God and not to be used as a tool to win the unsaved.’
      • ‘When they start their prayer, you may say a little prayer praising God and thanking Him for His grace.’
      • ‘It should be followed, as the Prophet recommends, with praising God, and with a prayer by other people.’
      • ‘Scripture exhorts us to praise God and we should keep this in mind when we approach this God in prayer.’
      • ‘How welcome were the mornings, in particular the morning a Christian woman came in praising the Lord in song.’
      • ‘Overwhelmed by the Spirit, these Gentiles began praising God and even speaking in tongues.’
      • ‘We praise God that our professors are giving their services freely.’
      • ‘Rather, every day is a day of mercy to praise Him for any blessing or every good thing He brings our way.’
      • ‘I could feel myself blushing and silently praising God that it could not be seen.’
      • ‘Praise the lord almighty, for things may just be going my way!’
      • ‘I praise God that the people responsible have a heart for God's people.’
      • ‘I will continue to praise my God under any authority, left or right.’
      worship, glorify, honour, exalt, adore, pay tribute to, pay homage to, give thanks to, venerate, reverence, hallow, bless
      View synonyms

noun

  • 1The expression of approval or admiration for someone or something.

    ‘the audience was full of praise for the whole production’
    • ‘I guess all those praises and admiration finally got to me.’
    • ‘The least satisfactory aspect of the book is that which has received the most fulsome praise from certain critics.’
    • ‘The novel received extremely high praise from critics.’
    • ‘Every pro in attendance who analyzed the contest heaped effusive praise on the judges afterward.’
    • ‘The intense expression on the fox's face as it scratched in the sand won high praise from the judge.’
    • ‘But five men deserve special praise for their continued efforts.’
    • ‘Morocco especially has received lavish praise for its recent efforts and quite rightly so.’
    • ‘The people came together, the brethren sang praises to God.’
    • ‘Andrew's effort earned glowing praise from someone at the very top.’
    • ‘Young and old in Bolton welcomed a Royal visitor to town - and earned glowing praise from their VIP guest.’
    • ‘They were punished when they had done wrong and rewarded where praise was due.’
    • ‘Nothing but praise had ever been uttered about how the Isaacs got along together.’
    • ‘His days at Bootham Crescent continued to spark praise from all quarters of the club.’
    • ‘I'm watching and making tea, offering praise and encouragement.’
    • ‘The Harvard faculty fell all over themselves offering praise, one after the other, for the retiring president.’
    • ‘However, like most business correspondence, praise comes rarely and complaints come often.’
    • ‘Results suggest that a self-evaluation intervention had a positive short-term impact on teacher praise.’
    • ‘The natural contingencies of the typical classroom undermine frequent teacher praise and strengthen reprimanding behavior.’
    • ‘But most innings ended with smiles from the players and praise from the coaches.’
    • ‘Half of the female respondents and both male respondents reported praise from coaches.’
    approval, acclaim, admiration, approbation, acclamation, plaudits, congratulations, commendation, applause, flattery, adulation
    View synonyms
    1. 1.1The expression of respect and gratitude as an act of worship.
      ‘give praise to God’
      • ‘Together with you and me, and all the ransomed church, they will ascribe constant praise, worship and glory to the King of Kings.’
      • ‘Though our worship and praise add nothing to God's glory, we know that he takes great delight in it.’
      • ‘Music is not necessary to win the lost but it is a form of worship and praise to God.’
      • ‘Every morning, before we pray for our needs, we express our praise and gratitude to God.’
      • ‘Each day concluded with a Family Rally, consisting of worship, praise and an address.’
      • ‘As the stars and heavens learn the song of praise and worship, so do the inhabitants of the earth.’
      • ‘These are prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of praise, and prayers that ask for things.’
      • ‘What worship is and is for may be at stake in the argument between liturgical and praise worship.’
      • ‘Prayer, preaching and praise were the only church activities.’
      • ‘As you think about Jesus' goodness to you in prayer today, try writing your own hymn or prayer of praise.’
      • ‘On the spiritual plane we are to honour Almighty God with praise for His greatness and glory.’
      • ‘The psalmist had adapted this picture to refer to the spiritual offerings of prayer, praise and proclamation.’
      • ‘We were both raising our hands in praise and worship, shouting and singing to God.’
      • ‘The convention schedule sets aside time for some serious praise and worship.’
      • ‘It will entail habits of prayer, praise and a disciplined life lived for God.’
      • ‘The magi balance the equation of the entire cosmos singing praise to God's Word Incarnate.’
      • ‘You, please, sing the praises of my God, the Fearless.’
      • ‘Media content often reminds one of the praise songs typical of many African cultures.’
      • ‘There are two main categories of music: church music and praise songs.’
      • ‘Sotho literature is dominated by folktales and praise poems.’
      honour, thanks, glory, glorification, worship, devotion, exaltation, adoration, veneration, reverence, tribute
      View synonyms

Phrases

    sing the praises of

    • Express enthusiastic approval or admiration of (someone or something)

      ‘Uncle Felix never stopped singing her praises’
      • ‘As she made her way to the airport on Monday she could not stop singing the praises of St Lucia.’
      • ‘I instantly received e-mails singing the praises of almost every model by every manufacturer out there, and I'm sure most of them would have been fine.’
      • ‘It's time to sing the praises of all those unsung heroes of Swindon!’
      • ‘Today, we are told, is a time to sing the praises of all that is great about being part of the historic county of Yorkshire.’
      • ‘I really cannot stop singing the praises of this, the best song of the year.’
      • ‘He sang the praises of all the crew, but particularly the cooks, who worked tirelessly to prepare 31,443 individual meals during the four months at sea.’
      • ‘He barely name-dropped one celebrity, yet he couldn't resist singing the praises of his best friend from school.’
      • ‘There was a time when we admired genius, a time when we sang the praises of inventors, explorers, scientists, artists, writers and yes, even statesmen.’
      • ‘Patricia sings the praises of returning to education: ‘I would thoroughly recommend it.’’
      • ‘He sings the praises of George, an elderly goose which has apparently taken a family of young ducklings under his wing and regularly helps shepherd them across the road.’
      commend, express approval of, express admiration for, applaud, pay tribute to, speak highly of, eulogize, compliment, congratulate, celebrate, sing the praises of, praise to the skies, rave about, go into raptures about, heap praise on, wax lyrical about, say nice things about, make much of, pat on the back, take one's hat off to, throw bouquets at, lionize, admire, hail, cheer, flatter
      View synonyms
    praise be
    archaic

    • Used as an expression of relief, joy, or gratitude.

      ‘“How is your sister?” “On the mend, praise be.”’
      • ‘Above all, there has been a pleasing impression of pace and simplicity about the play of those under him with, praise be, scant suggestion of backs with furrowed brows playing by numbers.’
      • ‘What he didn't do, praise be, was to make the mistake of too many coaches in too many sports and give victory the dreaded epithet of ‘an answer to our critics’.’
      • ‘And a short summary of what the guests have to say is, praise be, subsequently posted on the web site.’
      • ‘Finally, praise be, his wife and I have a common bond.’
      • ‘In the exodus, I lose my friends and run to catch a bus that arrives, praise be.’

Origin

Middle English (also in the sense ‘set a price on, attach value to’): from Old French preisier ‘to prize, praise’, from late Latin pretiare, from Latin pretium ‘price’. Compare with prize.