Meanings
verbapplaud (third-person singular simple present applauds, present participle applauding, simple past and past participle applauded)
present singular third person applauds · participle present applauding · participle past applauded · past applauded
- intransitivetransitiveTo praise, or express approval for something or someone.
Although we don't like your methods, we applaud your motives.
2 more examples
Now by the Gods, I do applaude his courage.
c. 1607–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, [George Wilkins?], The Late, and Much Admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: […] [William White and Thomas Creede] for Henry Gosson, […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act II, scene v]It moved him to within one goal of Thierry Henry's 34 in 2004 and Henry - honoured with a statue outside the stadium on Friday - rose from his seat in the stands to applaud Van Persie.
2011 December 10, David Ornstein, “Arsenal 1 - 0 Everton”, in BBC SportSynonyms: acclaim, beclap, cheer on, acclaim, acclamate, hail, barrack, beclap
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo praise, or express approval for something or someone.
More synonyms by meaning
verbclap one's hands or shout after performances to indicate approval
Opposite
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinapplaudere“to clap the hands together, applaud”
- Middle Englishapplauden
- Englishapplaud
From Middle English applauden, from Latin applaudere (“to clap the hands together, applaud”), from ad (“to”) + plaudere (“to strike, clap”).
More words from Middle English, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek κροτέω
- κροτέω (krotéō)to express approval by clapping
Arabic صَفَّقَ
- صَفَّقَ (ṣaffaqa)to express approval by clapping
Bulgarian аплоди́рам, ръкопляска́м
- аплоди́рам (aplodíram)to express approval by clapping
- ръкопляска́м (răkopljaskám)to express approval by clapping
- хва́ля (hválja)to praise, or express approval by words
- одобря́вам (odobrjávam)to praise, or express approval by words
Catalan aplaudir
- aplaudirto express approval by clapping
Chinese Mandarin 拍手, 鼓掌
- 拍手 (pāishǒu)to express approval by clapping
- 鼓掌 (gǔzhǎng)to express approval by clapping
Czech tleskat
- tleskatto express approval by clapping
Danish applaudere, klappe
- applaudereto express approval by clapping
- klappeto express approval by clapping
Dutch applaudisseren, klappen
- applaudisserento express approval by clapping
- klappento express approval by clapping
- applaudisserento praise, or express approval by words
Esperanto aplaŭdi
- aplaŭdito express approval by clapping
Estonian aplodeerima
- aplodeerimato express approval by clapping
Finnish taputtaa, aplodeerata
- taputtaato express approval by clapping
- aplodeeratato express approval by clapping
French applaudir, ovationner
- applaudirto express approval by clapping
- ovationnerto express approval by clapping
- louerto praise, or express approval by words
- approuverto praise, or express approval by words
German applaudieren, klatschen
- applaudierento express approval by clapping
- klatschento express approval by clapping
- Beifall klatschento express approval by clapping
- lobento praise, or express approval by words
- befürwortento praise, or express approval by words
Greek χειροκροτώ, επικροτώ
- χειροκροτώ (cheirokrotó)to express approval by clapping
- επικροτώ (epikrotó)to praise, or express approval by words
Hebrew הֵרִיעַ
- הֵרִיעַ (hería')to express approval by clapping
Hindi ताली बजाना, प्रशंसा करना
- ताली बजाना (tālī bajānā)to express approval by clapping
- प्रशंसा करना (praśansā karnā)to praise, or express approval by words
- सराहना (sarāhnā)to praise, or express approval by words
Hungarian tapsol, megtapsol
- tapsolto express approval by clapping
- megtapsolto express approval by clapping
- helyeselto praise, or express approval by words
- dicsérto praise, or express approval by words
Italian applaudire, congratularsi
- applaudireto express approval by clapping
- congratularsito express approval by clapping
- lodareto praise, or express approval by words
- approvareto praise, or express approval by words
Japanese 拍手する
- 拍手する (hakushu suru)to express approval by clapping
Korean 박수하다
- 박수하다 (baksuhada)to express approval by clapping
Latin plaudō, applaudō
- plaudōto express approval by clapping
- applaudōto express approval by clapping
Latvian aplaudēt, atzīt
- aplaudētto express approval by clapping
- atzītto praise, or express approval by words
- apsveiktto praise, or express approval by words
Lithuanian ploti, paploti
- plotito express approval by clapping
- paplotito express approval by clapping
Māori pakipaki, umere
- pakipakito express approval by clapping
- umereto express approval by clapping
Norwegian Bokmål klappe
- klappeto express approval by clapping
Persian کف زدن
- کف زدن (kaf zadan)to express approval by clapping
Polish klaskać, oklaskiwać
- klaskaćto express approval by clapping
- oklaskiwaćto express approval by clapping
- bić brawoto express approval by clapping
Portuguese aplaudir, aplaudir
- aplaudirto express approval by clapping
- aplaudirto praise, or express approval by words
Romanian aplauda
- aplaudato express approval by clapping
Russian аплоди́ровать, хло́пать
- аплоди́ровать (aplodírovatʹ)to express approval by clapping
- хло́пать (xlópatʹ)to express approval by clapping
- рукоплеска́ть (rukopleskátʹ)to express approval by clapping
- хвали́ть (xvalítʹ)to praise, or express approval by words
- одобря́ть (odobrjátʹ)to praise, or express approval by words
Slovak tlieskať
- tlieskaťto express approval by clapping
Spanish aplaudir, aplaudir
- aplaudirto express approval by clapping
- aplaudirto praise, or express approval by words
Swedish applådera, klappa
- applåderato express approval by clapping
- klappato express approval by clapping
Thai ปรบ, ตบมือ
- ปรบ (bpròp)to express approval by clapping
- ตบมือ (dtòp-mʉʉ)to express approval by clapping
Turkish alkışlamak, el çırpmak
- alkışlamakto express approval by clapping
- el çırpmakto express approval by clapping
- beğenmekto praise, or express approval by words
- takdir etmekto praise, or express approval by words
- alkışlamakto praise, or express approval by words
Ukrainian аплодува́ти, плеска́ти
- аплодува́ти (aploduváty)to express approval by clapping
- плеска́ти (pleskáty)to express approval by clapping
- рукоплеска́ти (rukopleskáty)to express approval by clapping
Vietnamese vỗ tay
- vỗ tayto express approval by clapping
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with applaud
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
applaud. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/applaud
MLA
“applaud.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/applaud. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “applaud,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/applaud.
Source: applaud on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.