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
The viral TikTok video has amassed over 1,000 comments already, as many social-media users praised the adorable bond that Peach and Bear have. Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025 Sonko also praised China in his statement on Friday. Rebecca Tauber, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Noun
While Monster Hunter Wilds received a lot of praise at launch, the longer-term fortunes of the game four months later have been dismal. Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025 However, Khanna offered rare praise of Trump’s presidential campaign, approving of his promise from the 2024 election not to get into new wars. Grace Hagerman, The Washington Examiner, 20 June 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 28 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!