Usage of Kudos
Kudos looks plural, but it didn't begin that way. Kudos is one of a number of Greek-derived English nouns ending in -os; as with pathos there are no subdivisions in the idea of the original kudos, and the term is used with some, not a. What separates kudos from pathos, 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." 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. You will see the newer, singular version of the word at its own entry.
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, 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, 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
Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2023
Greenwald, who was introduced with Bronx flair by Cardi B, also brought an aw-shucks attitude in accepting the kudos.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 5 Feb. 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for kudos
Cite this Entry
“Kudos.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kudos. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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