Meanings
praise1
nounpraise (countable and uncountable, plural praises)
plural praises
- countableuncountableCommendation; favourable representation in words.
dim praise
3 more examples
The writer's latest novel received great praise in the media.
You deserve praise for the hard work you've done recently.
She gave them some faint praise for their assignments, despite not being totally convinced by the quality.
Antonyms: blame
- countableuncountableWorship, glorification, adoration.
praise of God
1 more example
Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.
1611, “Psalm 150:6”, in King James BibleSynonyms: worship
praise2
verbpraise (third-person singular simple present praises, present participle praising, simple past and past participle praised)
present singular third person praises · participle present praising · participle past praised · past praised · first person past singular praised · archaic present second person singular praisest · past second person singular praised · archaic past second person singular praisedst · present singular third person praises · archaic present singular third person praiseth · past singular third person praised · past plural praised · past subjunctive praised · participle present praising · participle past praised
- To give praise to; to commend, glorify, or worship.
Be sure to praise Bobby for his excellent work at school this week.
1 more example
Some of the passengers were heard praising God as the stricken plane landed safely.
Synonyms: exalt, applaud, extol, salute, aggrandize, applaud, enthrone, appraise · Antonyms: blame
Synonyms & antonyms
nounCommendation; favourable representation in words.
Opposite
nounWorship, glorification, adoration.
Similar
verbTo give praise to; to commend, glorify, or worship.
Similar
Opposite
Opposite
Broader
Narrower
More synonyms by meaning
nounan expression of approval and commendation
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
praise · noun
- Middle Englishpraise
- Englishpraise
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”).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →praise · verb
- Late Latinpretiō“to value, prize”
- Old Frenchproisier, preisier“to value, prize”
- Middle Englishpraisen, preisen
- Englishpraise
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”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Late Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek αἴνεσις, ἔπαινος
- αἴνεσις (aínesis)commendation; favorable representation in words
- ἔπαινος (épainos)commendation; favorable representation in words
- αἶνος (aînos)commendation; favorable representation in words
- αἰνέω (ainéō)to give praise to
- ἐπαινέω (epainéō)to give praise to
Arabic مِدْحَة, إِثْنَاء
- مِدْحَة (midḥa)commendation; favorable representation in words
- إِثْنَاء (ʔiṯnāʔ)commendation; favorable representation in words
- إِطْرَاء (ʔiṭrāʔ)commendation; favorable representation in words
- مَحْمَدَة (maḥmada)commendation; favorable representation in words
- عِبَادَة (ʕibāda)worship
- حَمْد (ḥamd)worship
- مَدَحَ (madaḥa)to give praise to
- أَثْنَى (ʔaṯnā)to give praise to
- أَطْرَى (ʔaṭrā)to give praise to
- حَمِدَ (ḥamida)to give praise to
Bengali তারিফ, প্রশংসা
- তারিফ (tariph)commendation; favorable representation in words
- প্রশংসা (prośoṅśa)commendation; favorable representation in words
Bulgarian хваля́
- хваля́ (hvaljá)to give praise to
Catalan alabança, lloança
- alabançacommendation; favorable representation in words
- lloançacommendation; favorable representation in words
- lloarto give praise to
Chinese Cantonese 稱讚 /称赞, 讚揚 /赞扬
- 稱讚 /称赞 (cing¹ zaan³)commendation; favorable representation in words
- 讚揚 /赞扬 (zaan³ joeng⁴)commendation; favorable representation in words
- 表揚 /表扬 (biu² joeng⁴)commendation; favorable representation in words
- 褒揚 /褒扬 (bou¹ joeng⁴)commendation; favorable representation in words
- 稱道 /称道 (cing¹ dou⁶)commendation; favorable representation in words
- 稱揚 /称扬 (cing¹ joeng⁴)commendation; favorable representation in words
- 表彰 (biu² zoeng¹)commendation; favorable representation in words
- 讚美 /赞美 (zaan³ mei⁵)worship
- 讚 /赞 (zaan³)to give praise to
- 讚美 /赞美 (zaan³ mei⁵)to give praise to
Chinese Mandarin 稱讚 /称赞, 讚揚 /赞扬
- 稱讚 /称赞 (chēngzàn)commendation; favorable representation in words
- 讚揚 /赞扬 (zànyáng)commendation; favorable representation in words
- 表揚 /表扬 (biǎoyáng)commendation; favorable representation in words
- 褒揚 /褒扬 (bāoyáng)commendation; favorable representation in words
- 稱道 /称道 (chēngdào)commendation; favorable representation in words
- 稱揚 /称扬 (chēngyáng)commendation; favorable representation in words
- 表彰 (biǎozhāng)commendation; favorable representation in words
- 讚美 /赞美 (zànměi)worship
- 讚揚 /赞扬 (zànyáng)to give praise to
- 稱讚 /称赞 (chēngzàn)to give praise to
- 表揚 /表扬 (biǎoyáng)to give praise to
- 誇獎 /夸奖 (kuājiǎng)to give praise to
- 讚美 /赞美 (zànměi)to give praise to
Czech chvála, pochvala
- chválacommendation; favorable representation in words
- pochvalacommendation; favorable representation in words
- chválitto give praise to
Danish rose
- roseto give praise to
Dutch lof, loven
- lofcommendation; favorable representation in words
- lovento give praise to
- prijzento give praise to
- erento give praise to
- lofprijzento give praise to
Esperanto laŭdo, laŭdi
- laŭdocommendation; favorable representation in words
- laŭdito give praise to
Estonian ülistamine, ülistama
- ülistamineworship
- ülistamato give praise to
Finnish ylistys, kehu
- ylistyscommendation; favorable representation in words
- kehucommendation; favorable representation in words
- kehuminencommendation; favorable representation in words
- ylistysworship
- palvontaworship
- ylistääto give praise to
- kehuato give praise to
- palvoato give praise to
French louange, louange
- louangecommendation; favorable representation in words
- louangeworship
- louerto give praise to
- féliciterto give praise to
- prônerto give praise to
- vénérerto give praise to
German Lob, Lob
- Lobcommendation; favorable representation in words
- Lobworship
- lobento give praise to
- preisento give praise to
- lobpreisento give praise to
- anbetento give praise to
Greek επαινώ, εγκωμιάζω
- επαινώ (epainó)to give praise to
- εγκωμιάζω (egkomiázo)to give praise to
Hebrew שֶׁבַח, שיבח \ שִׁבֵּחַ
- שֶׁבַחcommendation; favorable representation in words
- שיבח \ שִׁבֵּחַ (shibéakh)to give praise to
Hindi सराहना, प्रशंसा
- सराहना (sarāhnā)commendation; favorable representation in words
- प्रशंसा (praśansā)commendation; favorable representation in words
- तारीफ़ (tārīf)commendation; favorable representation in words
- स्तुति (stuti)commendation; favorable representation in words
- बड़ाई (baṛāī)commendation; favorable representation in words
- स्तुति (stuti)worship
- सराहना करना (sarāhnā karnā)to give praise to
- तारीफ़ करना (tārīf karnā)to give praise to
- प्रशंसा करना (praśansā karnā)to give praise to
Hungarian dicséret, dicsőítés
- dicséretcommendation; favorable representation in words
- dicsőítésworship
- dicsérto give praise to
- méltatto give praise to
- dicsőítto give praise to
Icelandic lof, hrós
- lofcommendation; favorable representation in words
- hróscommendation; favorable representation in words
- hrósato give praise to
Indonesian pujian
- pujiancommendation; favorable representation in words
Irish clú, mol
- clúcommendation; favorable representation in words
- molto give praise to
- cuachto give praise to
Italian elogio, lode
- elogiocommendation; favorable representation in words
- lodecommendation; favorable representation in words
- complimentocommendation; favorable representation in words
- adorazioneworship
- gloriaworship
- lodareto give praise to
- elogiareto give praise to
Japanese 賞賛, 礼賛
- 賞賛 (shōsan)commendation; favorable representation in words
- 礼賛 (raisan)worship
- 礼讃 (raisan)worship
- 褒める (homeru)to give praise to
- 称える (tataeru)to give praise to
- 讃える (tataeru)to give praise to
- 賞賛する (shōsan suru)to give praise to
Korean 칭찬하다
- 칭찬하다 (chingchanhada)to give praise to
Latin laus, laudo
- lauscommendation; favorable representation in words
- laudoto give praise to
Latvian slavēt
- slavētto give praise to
Lithuanian gi̇̀rti, pagi̇̀rti
- gi̇̀rtito give praise to
- pagi̇̀rtito give praise to
Malay memuji
- memujito give praise to
Norwegian rose
- roseto give praise to
Persian ستایش, ثنا
- ستایش (setâyeš)commendation; favorable representation in words
- ثنا (sanâ)commendation; favorable representation in words
- آفرین (âfarin)commendation; favorable representation in words
- ستایش (setâyeš)worship
- ستودن (setudan)to give praise to
- تعریف کردن (ta'rif kardan)to give praise to
Polish pochwała, chwalić
- pochwałacommendation; favorable representation in words
- chwalićto give praise to
- pochwalićto give praise to
Portuguese louvor, louvor
- louvorcommendation; favorable representation in words
- louvorworship
- adoraçãoworship
- louvarto give praise to
- enaltecerto give praise to
- elogiarto give praise to
Punjabi ਵਡਿਆਉਣਾ
- ਵਡਿਆਉਣਾ (vaḍiāuṇā)to give praise to
Romanian laudă, elogiu
- laudăcommendation; favorable representation in words
- elogiucommendation; favorable representation in words
- glorificarecommendation; favorable representation in words
- devoțiuneworship
- adorareworship
- venerareworship
- divinizareworship
- lăudato give praise to
- slăvito give praise to
- proslăvito give praise to
Russian похвала́, восхвале́ние
- похвала́ (poxvalá)commendation; favorable representation in words
- восхвале́ние (vosxvalénije)commendation; favorable representation in words
- хвала́ (xvalá)commendation; favorable representation in words
- прославле́ние (proslavlénije)worship
- хвала́ (xvalá)worship
- хвали́ть (xvalítʹ)to give praise to
- похвали́ть (poxvalítʹ)to give praise to
- восхваля́ть (vosxvaljátʹ)to give praise to
- превозноси́ть (prevoznosítʹ)to give praise to
Scottish Gaelic cliù, luaidh
- cliùcommendation; favorable representation in words
- luaidhcommendation; favorable representation in words
- moladhcommendation; favorable representation in words
- cliùworship
- luaidhworship
- moladhworship
- molto give praise to
- luaidhto give praise to
Slovak chvála, pochvala
- chválacommendation; favorable representation in words
- pochvalacommendation; favorable representation in words
- chváliťto give praise to
- pochváliťto give praise to
Spanish alabanza, loa
- alabanzacommendation; favorable representation in words
- loacommendation; favorable representation in words
- enaltecimientocommendation; favorable representation in words
- elogiocommendation; favorable representation in words
- popamientocommendation; favorable representation in words
- adoraciónworship
- alabarto give praise to
- elogiarto give praise to
- ensalzarto give praise to
- enaltecerto give praise to
- loarto give praise to
- encarecerto give praise to
- poparto give praise to
Swahili shangilia, shangilia
- shangiliaworship
- shangiliato give praise to
Swedish berömma
- berömmato give praise to
Tagalog papuri
- papuriworship
Tamil புகழ்ச்சி, போற்றி
- புகழ்ச்சி (pukaḻcci)commendation; favorable representation in words
- போற்றி (pōṟṟi)worship
- புகழ்ச்சி (pukaḻcci)worship
- போற்று (pōṟṟu)to give praise to
- புகழ் (pukaḻ)to give praise to
Thai ยกย่อง, สรรเสริญ
- ยกย่อง (yók-yɔ̂ng)to give praise to
- สรรเสริญ (sǎn-sə̌ən)to give praise to
Turkish övgü, methiye
- övgücommendation; favorable representation in words
- methiyecommendation; favorable representation in words
- hamtworship
- övmekto give praise to
- methetmekto give praise to
Ukrainian похвала́, хвали́ти
- похвала́ (poxvalá)commendation; favorable representation in words
- хвали́ти (xvalýty)to give praise to
Urdu تعریف, تعریف کرنا
- تعریف (tārīf)commendation; favorable representation in words
- تعریف کرنا (tārīf karnā)to give praise to
Vietnamese khen ngợi
- khen ngợito give praise to
Welsh canmol, clodfori
- canmolto give praise to
- clodforito give praise to
- molito give praise to
- moliannuto give praise to
Yiddish לויב, לויבן
- לויב (loyb)commendation; favorable representation in words
- לויבן (loybn)to give praise to
Zulu -bonga, -dumisa
- -bongato give praise to
- -dumisato give praise to
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with praise
dayswaysphaseraiseresphrasegayshayesstayseraseblazemazemaizebaysgazehazehaysmayscrazegraysamazedazemayonnaisechaise
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
praise. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/praise
MLA
“praise.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/praise. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “praise,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/praise.
Source: praise on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.