Synonyms of panegyric

panegyric

noun

ˌpa-nə-ˈjir-ik 

as in tribute

a formal expression of praise

wrote a panegyric on the centennial of the Nobel laureate's birth

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tribute
• commendation
• citation
• encomium
• hymn
• eulogy
• eulogium
• homage
• paean
• accolade
• award
• salutation
• dithyramb
• prize
• applause
• laudation
• acclaim
• dedication
• decoration
• honor
• acclamation
• recommendation
• approval
• compliment
• hallelujah
• cachet
• plaudit(s)
• bravo
• kudo

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• indictment
• condemnation
• denunciation
• censure
• rebuke
• reprimand
• lecture
• sermon
• correction
• reproof
• admonition
• harangue

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun panegyric differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of panegyric are citation, encomium, eulogy, and tribute. While all these words mean "a formal expression of praise," panegyric suggests an elaborate often poetic compliment.

her lyrical memoir was a panegyric to her mentor

When would citation be a good substitute for panegyric?

The meanings of citation and panegyric largely overlap; however, citation applies to the formal praise of a person offered in a military dispatch or in awarding an honorary degree.

earned a citation for bravery

When is encomium a more appropriate choice than panegyric?

While in some cases nearly identical to panegyric, encomium implies enthusiasm and warmth in praising a person or a thing.

received encomiums from literary critics

When might eulogy be a better fit than panegyric?

The words eulogy and panegyric are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, eulogy applies to a prepared speech or writing extolling the virtues and services of a person.

delivered the eulogy at the funeral service

When could tribute be used to replace panegyric?

The words tribute and panegyric can be used in similar contexts, but tribute implies deeply felt praise conveyed either through words or through a significant act.

the concert was a musical tribute to the early jazz masters

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of panegyric

Founded in 1999, the website publishes reviews of new releases, re-releases, books, and concerts; articles on aspects of the recording business and the classical repertoire; and Hurwitz’s diatribes and panegyrics. —David Denby, New Yorker, 20 July 2025

The whole film is a panegyric: big speeches and weighty moments with very little sense of play. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025

Buckley’s magazine, National Review, the flagship of the movement, published regular panegyrics to anti-communist generalissimos, heaping adoration on the likes of the Dominican Republic’s Rafael Trujillo, Portugal’s Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, and Spain’s Francisco Franco. —Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2024

For example, Kenneth Khachigian, chief speechwriter for former President Ronald Reagan, wrote a panegyric about her for The Wall Street Journal, which went so far as to compare her to the Gipper. —Robert Robb, CNN, 31 Oct. 2022

At Night Market, a young Filipina chef named Strawberry conjured a mouthwatering panegyric to Middle East cuisine. —Christopher P. Baker, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2022

Leave it to Grant Park Music Festival artistic director Carlos Kalmar to make sense of a head-scratcher of a season closer: A sprawling, somewhat obscure military panegyric by Handel. —Hannah Edgar, chicagotribune.com, 21 Aug. 2021

Yet, once the protagonist Vellitt Boe leaves her capricious, cruel fantasy realm behind, there follows a panegyric to this world. —Siddhartha Deb, The New Republic, 19 Mar. 2021

As this panegyric suggests, Charles’s political career in the United States was dead on arrival. —David Klion, The New Republic, 24 Sep. 2019

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