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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
While some prominent Jews have praised Trump’s Harvard crackdown, many others say the administration’s actions appear more focused on damaging higher education than addressing the concerns of Jewish students. Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 27 May 2025 While many praised the video’s message and Rylie’s insightful approach, others criticized the mom for not sharing her specific experiences with her daughter. Ashley Vega, People.com, 27 May 2025
Noun
Preacher Lawson - Season 12 Preacher Lawson is a comedian whose energetic and relatable stand-up routines earned him high praise from the judges, with Mandel likening him to comedy legends like Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 27 May 2025 Tsotsi was a huge hit with critics, with praise especially for Chweneyagae’s performance. Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for praise

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Praise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/praise. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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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