acclaim

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

Synonyms of acclaim

• praise
• applaud
• hail

Examples of acclaim in a Sentence

The critics have acclaimed her performance.

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Adaptation was also critically acclaimed, and earned four Academy Award nominations. —Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026

BAMtheatre is a year-round, acclaimed, prize-winning youth theater conservatory, with its own building in Westmont, and has almost 3,000 students each year. —Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2026

Her 2014 album, El Asunto, was also critically acclaimed, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Tropical Latin album, and a Latin Grammy nod for Best Folk Album. —Preezy Brown, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026

Making her feature screenwriting and directing debut with Is God Is, an adaptation of her play which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, Harris is behind one of the year’s wildest and most acclaimed films, sitting at a 97 percent freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. —David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at transitive 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

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