praise

verb \ ˈprāz \

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

Examples: praise in a Sentence

Definition of praise

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

See praise defined for English-language learners

See praise defined for kids

Examples of praise in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of praise from the Web

More props: all testers praised its boob accommodation.

— kelly bastone, Outside Online, "The Best Women’s Backpacking Packs," 13 July 2018
Its ghosts are American ghosts: praising liberty, but not all of it; fearing the unknown, the stranger, the different, the sojourner, preferring them to keep their voices to themselves.

— alissa wilkinson, Vox, "What two fictional Gileads can teach us about America in 2018," 12 July 2018
Trump also reaffirmed the U.S.’ commitment to NATO and praised the treaty’s strength at Thursday’s press conference, despite a series of tense interactions earlier in the week.

— jamie ducharme, Time, "'It's Not a Question of Friend or Enemy.' Trump Calls Putin a 'Competitor' During Surprise NATO Press Conference," 12 July 2018
The 27-year-old rapper tweeted a rare tribute to Jenner, 20, on Wednesday, praising the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star for her Forbes cover.

— dave quinn, PEOPLE.com, "Travis Scott 'Can't Be More Proud' of Kylie Jenner's 'Billionaire' Forbes Cover Amid Backlash," 12 July 2018
As well as fans praising the players, Gareth Southgate was also honoured with 'Waistcoat Wednesday,' where fans took to Twitter to show their admiration of the manager's now iconic style.

— SI.com, "How Social Media Helped Create a Positive Atmosphere for England to Thrive in During World Cup Run," 12 July 2018
Spoelstra's comments came after Kelly Olynyk showed up at the Heat's Wednesday practice for a workout and after Spoelstra praised Bam Adebayo for strides made this offseason.

— ira winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "ASK IRA: Will détente work for Spoelstra and Whiteside?," 12 July 2018
The open letter was posted online after the law school, currently ranked number-one in the country by U.S. News & World Report, published a press release with quotes from faculty praising the 53-year-old federal appeals court judge.

— sam dangremond, Town & Country, "Yale Law Students and Alumni Denounce School's Support of Brett Kavanaugh," 11 July 2018
On top of that, Erica Sackin, director of political communications for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, pointed out on Twitter that Kavanaugh praised the dissenting opinion in Roe v. Wade in a 2017 lecture.

— mckenzie schwark, Teen Vogue, "Abortion-Rights Hashtag Signals Opposition to Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court Nomination," 10 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'praise.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of praise

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

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First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

praise Synonyms

Phrases

doff one's hat to (or doff one's cap to);

praise

noun

Definition of praise

1 a : an expression of approval : commendation

b : worship

2 a : value, merit

b archaic : one that is praised

See praise defined for English-language learners

Examples of praise in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of praise from the Web

There is reason to think, then, that Trump’s praise of Kennedy was strategic.

— adam liptak and maggie haberman, BostonGlobe.com, "How the White House quietly worked to get Justice Kennedy to move aside," 29 June 2018
There is reason to think, then, that Mr. Trump’s praise of Justice Kennedy was strategic.

— New York Times, "Inside the White House’s Quiet Campaign to Create a Supreme Court Opening," 28 June 2018
Hierro's praise for his players' performance was rather muted.

— SI.com, "'A Great Side With Clear Ideas' Spain Manager Hails Iran's Performance After Nervy Win for La Roja," 21 June 2018
His order drew praise from a group representing offshore energy producers and criticism from environmentalists.

— john flesher, Detroit Free Press, "Trump scraps Obama policy on protecting oceans, Great Lakes," 21 June 2018
His development drew recent praise from head coach Ron Rivera.

— jourdan rodrigue, charlotteobserver, "Source: 'Monster' financial gap between Panthers, key player in contract year," 20 June 2018
Yet the ally conceded Trump's praise for Kim has been over the top.

— eli stokols, latimes.com, "Trump voices admiration and envy of Kim Jong Un, underscoring his respect for autocrats," 15 June 2018
In the church’s early days, Jones was considered an advocate for the downtrodden and marginalized, drawing praise from a host of politicians.

— johnny dodd, PEOPLE.com, "Mock Suicide Drills, Child Labor and Armed Guards: Inside Jonestown in the Days Before Mass Poisoning," 11 June 2018
Much praise for Bourdain came over his attention to Palestinians in that episode, as well as his words of support for the Palestinain people.

— CNN, "Anthony Bourdain shone a different light on the Middle East," 8 June 2018

First Known Use of praise

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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PRAISE Defined for English Language Learners

praise

verb

Definition of praise for English Language Learners

: to say or write good things about (someone or something) : to express approval of (someone or something)
: to express thanks to or love and respect for (God)

praise

noun

Definition of praise for English Language Learners

: spoken or written words about the good qualities of someone or something : an expression of approval for someone or something
: an expression of thanks to or love and respect for God