praise
noun · verb
Simple meaning
An expression of approval and commendation.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
prayzIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈpɹeɪz
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
An expression of approval and commendation
“He always appreciated praise for his work.”
Commendation; favourable representation in words.
Worship, glorification, adoration.
verb
To give praise to; to commend, glorify, or worship.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: An expression of approval and commendation
Used this way, praise is a common word with a clearly warm, approving pull. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“He always appreciated praise for his work.”
- Emotional tone
- Positive
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Gentle
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Positive and appreciative
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “praise for …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: praise for …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use praise
- “The parents praised their children for their academic performance.”verb
- “He always appreciated praise for his work.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Speaking of yourself in superlatives.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: to give praise to
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.