encomium
noun
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Kudos to encomium for being a marvelous, magnificent, must-have word for high praise for over four centuries—at least in formal speech and writing. Indeed, like its synonym panegyric, encomium (from the Greek word enkōmion, meaning “celebration”) has seen a steady drop in usage since the early 1800s and is rarely encountered outside of literary or highfalutin contexts. It does pop up in pop culture now and again, however. Music fans of a certain generation may remember a host of their favorite artists, from Tori Amos to Stone Temple Pilots, paying tribute to Led Zeppelin in 1995 on the appropriately titled album Encomium: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin. And more recently, the famously loquacious television series Gilmore Girls dropped encomium no less than five times in a 2016 episode featuring “Stars Hollow: The Musical,” a show-within-a-show featuring the line “Not so fast with the encomiums!” Of course, you may dish out your own encomiums in any manner or velocity you wish—and verily we shall tip our chapeaux.
Synonyms
Examples of encomium in a Sentence
Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024
Legendary frontman Stephen Malkmus would likely be opposed to the usual encomiums.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
Since Joe Biden was dragged kicking and screaming from the 2024 presidential race, Americans have been treated with many an encomium to the president’s selfless statesmanship.
—Jason Willick, Washington Post, 30 July 2024
Politics, even now, is about more than baubles and encomia, and in their obstinacy, most voters remain at least somewhat interested in the policies that each candidate brings to the feast.
—Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 29 July 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Encomium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encomium. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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encomium
noun
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