praise

B1 Topic:Ethics & Social Judgment

US /pɹeɪz/ See IPA manual

Freq #3869

Meanings

1

noun
Words that show approval or admiration for someone or something.

The teacher gave the students praise for their hard work.
2

verb
To express approval or admiration for someone or something.

The critics praised her latest novel.
3

noun
Words of worship offered to a god.

They sang a hymn of praise to God.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · words that show approval or... congratulationskudos

2 verb · to express approval or... applaud commend extol

More accolade approbation approvalattaboycommendation compliment congratulationdouceurencomium encouragement extolment

Opposites

blame condemnation criticism

Word family

Forms praisedpraisespraising

Related forms famous flattery

Appears in

Phrases (1)

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extravagant praise
approval expressed in exaggerated or unusually generous terms

Adjective + noun

Idioms (1)

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sing the praises of
to praise a person or thing enthusiastically when speaking to others

Proverbs (2)

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Simplified etymology

Praise developed from medieval Old French pris, which could mean “price,” “prize,” or “praise” and came from a Latin word meaning “price.” As these meanings separated into different English words, the commendatory sense came to be spelled preise and then praise.

Etymology

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”).

praisen Middle English proisier Old French pretiō la-lat

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Ethics & Social Judgment

External links

# praise

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /pɹeɪz/
**Frequency rank:** 3869

## Meanings
1. Words that show approval or admiration for someone or something.
2. To express approval or admiration for someone or something.
3. Words of worship offered to a god.

## Examples
- The teacher gave the students praise for their hard work.
- The critics praised her latest novel.
- They sang a hymn of praise to God.

## Synonyms
- accolade
- approbation
- approval
- attaboy
- commend
- commendation
- compliment
- congratulation
- douceur
- encomium
- encouragement
- extolment

## Antonyms
- blame
- condemnation
- criticism

## Related Forms
- famous
- flattery

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: praisen
- Root: proisier
- Root: pretiō

## Etymology
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”).

## AI Etymology
Praise comes 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”). In present-day English it covers words that show approval or admiration for someone or something, to express approval or admiration for someone or something, and words of worship offered to a god. The wider family includes related forms such as famous, flattery.

## Topics
- Ethics & Social Judgment

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praise

Meanings

Verb forms

Thesaurus

Appears in

Phrases (1)

Idioms (1)

Proverbs (2)

Simplified etymology

Etymology

Topics

External links

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