congratulate
verb
con·grat·u·late
kən-ˈgra-chə-ˌlāt 
-ˈgra-jə-
congratulated; congratulating
1
: to express vicarious pleasure to (a person) on the occasion of success or good fortune
graciously congratulated the winner
also
: to feel pleased with
congratulating herself for a job well done
2
archaic
: to express sympathetic pleasure at (an event)
Examples of congratulate in a Sentence
I'd like to congratulate you on your success.
She congratulated us on our test results.
She congratulated herself for getting the best grade in her class.
Recent Examples on the Web
Currently in the middle of its own strike, SAG-AFTRA congratulated the WGA on reaching an agreement.
—
Max Zahn, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2023
Lachlan congratulated his father for a 70-year career in media upon the news of his retirement.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023
In a statement Thursday, Lachlan congratulated his father’s decision to step away from his massive media empire.
—Makena Kelly, The Verge, 21 Sep. 2023
In a short video shared on Twitter, a voice that kinda sorta sounds like Swift, but might be some AI/deepfake-esque rendering (weird), congratulated fans for unlocking the 1989 (Taylor’s Version) vault and presented the grand prize: Four song titles.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2023
But that doesn’t mean the organization can’t take a moment to congratulate the winningest manager in franchise history for a job well done.
—Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 16 Sep. 2023
Jones, who wears No. 79 like Bryant, messaged and congratulated him after picking up the big-time offer.
—Robert Fenbers, cleveland, 11 Sep. 2023
After watching the English team's victory from the VIP box alongside Bill Beaumont, chairman of World Rugby, the princess went back to the locker room to congratulate the players.
—Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 10 Sep. 2023
Biden also congratulated Modi on India's recent moon landing.
—Aamer Madhani and Josh Boak The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2023
See More
Max Zahn, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2023
Lachlan congratulated his father for a 70-year career in media upon the news of his retirement.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023
In a statement Thursday, Lachlan congratulated his father’s decision to step away from his massive media empire.
—Makena Kelly, The Verge, 21 Sep. 2023
In a short video shared on Twitter, a voice that kinda sorta sounds like Swift, but might be some AI/deepfake-esque rendering (weird), congratulated fans for unlocking the 1989 (Taylor’s Version) vault and presented the grand prize: Four song titles.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2023
But that doesn’t mean the organization can’t take a moment to congratulate the winningest manager in franchise history for a job well done.
—Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 16 Sep. 2023
Jones, who wears No. 79 like Bryant, messaged and congratulated him after picking up the big-time offer.
—Robert Fenbers, cleveland, 11 Sep. 2023
After watching the English team's victory from the VIP box alongside Bill Beaumont, chairman of World Rugby, the princess went back to the locker room to congratulate the players.
—Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 10 Sep. 2023
Biden also congratulated Modi on India's recent moon landing.
—Aamer Madhani and Josh Boak The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'congratulate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
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Dictionary Entries Near congratulate
Cite this Entry
“Congratulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/congratulate. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
congratulate
verb
con·grat·u·late
kən-ˈgrach-ə-ˌlāt
congratulated; congratulating
: to express pleasure to on account of success or good fortune
congratulate the winner
More from Merriam-Webster on congratulate
Nglish: Translation of congratulate for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of congratulate for Arabic Speakers
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