applaud

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /əˈplɔd/ UK /əˈplɔːd/ See IPA manual

Freq #11861

Meanings

1

verb
To show approval by clapping your hands.

The audience applauded loudly at the end of the play.
2

verb
To praise or express approval of something.

We applaud your efforts to help the community.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to show approval by... clap cheer

2 verb · to praise or express... praise acclaim

Word family

Forms applaudedapplaudingapplauds

Derived forms applaudableapplauderapplaudinglyreapplaudunapplaudedunapplauding

Related forms applause explosion implausible implode plaudit plausible

Simplified etymology

Applaud entered English in the late Middle English period and ultimately derives from Latin plaudere, “to clap” or “applaud.” The related plaudit comes from Latin plaudite, the command “applaud!”

Etymology

From Middle English applauden, from Latin applaudere (“to clap the hands together, applaud”), from ad (“to”) + plaudere (“to strike, clap”).

applauden Middle English applaudere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# applaud

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /əˈplɔd/
**IPA (UK):** /əˈplɔːd/
**Frequency rank:** 11861

## Meanings
1. To show approval by clapping your hands.
2. To praise or express approval of something.

## Examples
- The audience applauded loudly at the end of the play.
- We applaud your efforts to help the community.

## Derived Forms
- applaudable
- applauder
- applaudingly
- reapplaud
- unapplauded
- unapplauding

## Related Forms
- applause
- explosion
- implausible
- implode
- plaudit
- plausible

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: applauden
- Root: applaudere

## Etymology
From Middle English applauden, from Latin applaudere (“to clap the hands together, applaud”), from ad (“to”) + plaudere (“to strike, clap”).

## AI Etymology
Applaud is from Middle English applauden, from Latin applaudere (“to clap the hands together, applaud”), from ad (“to”) plus plaudere (“to strike, clap”). The formation is semantically transparent: the parts remain visible, while the compound or affix fixes the grammatical role and narrows the modern meaning. In use as a verb, applaud denotes to show approval by clapping your hands and to praise or express approval of something. The same word family continues in derived forms such as applaudable, applauder, applaudingly, and reapplaud and related entries such as applause, explosion, implausible, and implode.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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