acclaim

1 of 2

verb

ac·​claim ə-ˈklām 

acclaimed; acclaiming; acclaims

transitive verb

1

: applaud, praise

Critics acclaimed her performance.

2

: to declare by acclamation

was acclaimed president of the society

intransitive verb

: to shout praise or applause

acclaimer noun

acclaim

2 of 2

noun

1

: the act of acclaiming

2

: praise, applause

She deserves acclaim for all her charitable works.

Synonyms

Verb

• praise
• applaud
• hail

Noun

• applause
• accolade
• glory
• credit
• praise
• honor

Examples of acclaim in a Sentence

Verb

The critics have acclaimed her performance.

she has long been acclaimed by the critics for her realistic acting

Noun

Her performance in the ballet earned her critical acclaim.

She deserves acclaim for all her charitable works.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Japanese video games are highly acclaimed around the world. —Billboard Japan, Billboard, 3 July 2025

Notably, the album was recorded in Music City's iconic RCA Studio A and will feature critically acclaimed, touring, rootsy country favorite Tyler Childers, among many others. —Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

Noun

Angélique Kidjo’s four-decade career has been marked by an unapologetic grace and global acclaim, with her 2025 Grammy nomination standing as a testament to the enduring success of authentic African artistry in the professional music world. —Ime Ekpo, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025

And even that may not enable him to reach his previous level of acclaim. —Curtis Bunn, NBC news, 3 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed (with assimilation to claim entry 1) from Middle French & Latin; Middle French acclamer, borrowed from Latin acclāmāre "to shout (at or in reaction to), raise an outcry, shout approval," from ad- ad- + clāmāre "to shout" — more at claim entry 1

Noun

derivative of acclaim entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1626, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for acclaim

• aflame
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• defame
• disclaim
• doorframe
• exclaim
• inflame
• mainframe
• nickname

Kids Definition

acclaim

1 of 2 verb

ac·​claim ə-ˈklām 

1

: to welcome with applause or great praise

a novel acclaimed by the critics

2

: to proclaim by or as if by acclamation

acclaimer noun

acclaim

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act of acclaiming

2

: applause, praise

Etymology

Verb

from Latin acclamare, literally "to shout at," from ac-, ad- "to, toward" and clamare "to shout" — related to claim, clamor