praise

1 of 2

verb

praised; praising

transitive verb

1
: to express a favorable judgment of : commend
2
: to glorify (a god or saint) especially by the attribution of perfections

intransitive verb

: to express praise
praiser noun

praise

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: an expression of approval : commendation
b
2
a
b
archaic : one that is praised

Examples of praise in a Sentence

Verb Critics praised her as both an actor and director. A good teacher praises students when they do well. We praise God for your safe arrival. People gather in churches to praise the Lord. Noun He deserves praise for the way he's handled this crisis. “Good job” is high praise coming from her. She rarely compliments anyone's work. I have nothing but praise for the hospital staff. People gathered in the church to sing praises to the Lord. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Buried received excellent reviews and Reynolds’ performance was heavily praised, earning the actor several nominations. Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023 Reviewers praise the sturdy feel and overall classic, versatile look. Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 24 Nov. 2023 Chief Patrol Agent Patricia D. McGurk-Daniel praised Border Patrol agents for their dedication to keeping America safe. Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 22 Nov. 2023 David Hoagland, president of the D.C. Firefighters Union Local 36, praised both Donnelly and former D.C. Fire Chief Gregory Dean for addressing low-level, non-emergency calls more than past administrations, but said the program still doesn’t meet the need and the triage program should be expanded. Omari Daniels, Washington Post, 20 Nov. 2023 The worm was praised—loved, even—until 1992, when a NASA administrator suddenly revived the meatball, thereby ditching the worm. Robert Sullivan, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023 But some manufacturers were praised by Cleevely and others for their relative openness. WIRED, 19 Nov. 2023 Our testers specifically praised its tech features and quiet operation. Katherine Alex Beaven, Peoplemag, 10 Nov. 2023 Netanyahu also praised the House's censure of Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who is one of a few House Democrats who have called for an end to the Israeli occupation. Rachel Schilke, Washington Examiner, 9 Nov. 2023
Noun
And Remo isn’t the only one in the industry singing their praises. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 23 Nov. 2023 Thousands of five-star reviews rave about the strong support this bra offers, with the crisscrossed design and hook and eye closure receiving the most praise. Courtney Leiva, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023 Frequent travelers flood the reviews with praise, but this gift will save the hands of spring-breakers, businessmen, and parents as well. Matthew Parker, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2023 But enforcement of the no praise, no blame policy was uneven. Rebecca Sheehan, The Conversation, 17 Nov. 2023 Hearing the praise from the panel really set my competitive side aflame. Michael Schneider, Variety, 16 Nov. 2023 The actor’s performance as Simone Veil, an Auschwitz survivor who became a feminist icon and human rights activist, earned critical praise and struck a chord with French audiences, becoming one of the highest-grossing French films of 2022. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 14 Nov. 2023 In other campaign news… Praising Biden: President Joe Biden’s staunch support for Israel has drawn praise from Jewish Americans, even more religious Jews who tend to support Republicans, NBC’s Megan Lebowitz reports. Mark Murray, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2023 Moscow hosted senior Hamas leaders last month, earning praise from the organization and condemnation from Israel. Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 11 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'praise.' 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

Verb

Middle English preisen, from Anglo-French preiser, priser to appraise, esteem — more at prize

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of praise was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near praise

Cite this Entry

“Praise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/praise. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

praise

verb
ˈprāz
praised; praising
1
: to express approval of : commend
2
: to glorify (a god or a saint) especially in song
praise noun
Etymology

Verb

Middle English preisen "to praise," from early French preisier, priser "to praise, prize," from Latin pretiare "to prize," from earlier pretium (noun) "price, money" — related to price

More from Merriam-Webster on praise

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