kudos

noun

ku·​dos ˈkü-ˌdäs How to pronounce kudos (audio)
ˈkyü-,
-ˌdōs
1
: praise given for achievement
2
: fame and renown resulting from an act or achievement : prestige

Did you know?

Kudos looks like it means “more than one kudo,” but it didn’t begin that way. Kudos is one of a number of Greek-derived English nouns ending in -os; like pathos, ethos, and mythos, kudos is a mass noun. There are no subdivisions in the idea of kudos, and the term is used with some, not a. What separates kudos from pathos and the rest, however, is that it is often interpreted as plural, with its -s getting clipped off and kudo being applied as a singular noun, as in “a kudo to anyone who remembers that kudos is not a plural noun.” It makes some sense really: other nouns for things you receive as praise—such as congratulations, accolades, awards, and honors—are plural. Kudos the mass noun was adopted as British university slang in the early 1800s with its still-current pronunciation of \KOO-dahss\, but by the 1920s kudo was being used as a count noun, with kudos, pronounced as \KOO-dohz\, as its plural. (We now enter this count noun in our dictionaries.) This isn’t the first time English speakers have reinterpreted a mass noun as a plural. In Middle English one could only put “some pease” on a plate the way we put “some butter” on bread; eventually the mass noun pease was understood to be plural, and one pea could be enjoyed all on its own.

Examples of kudos in a Sentence

Kudos to everyone who helped. The company has earned kudos for responding so quickly to customers' concerns.
Recent Examples on the Web While the bikes look exotic (kudos to the styling team), they are priced and designed for India - so far. Bill Roberson, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2023 For those going the vintage route, kudos to any guest who turns up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in an archival Balmain frock dating between 1955 and 1958—the period when Lagerfeld served as Pierre Balmain’s assistant. Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 18 Jan. 2023 Stewart is dressed for gardening in a green jumpsuit and straw hat (kudos on the sun protection, Martha!). Kara Nesvig, Allure, 6 Jan. 2023 So kudos to Brandon Flowers for trying to find a novel way in with this 2008 number. Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Dec. 2022 See all Example Sentences for kudos 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kudos.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Greek kydos

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of kudos was in 1831

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Dictionary Entries Near kudos

Cite this Entry

“Kudos.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kudos. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.

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