From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpraisepraise1 /preɪz/ ●●● W2 verb [transitive] 1 PRAISEto say that you admire and approve of someone or something, especially publicly OPP criticize Jane was praised by her teacher.praise somebody/something for (doing) something The mayor praised the rescue teams for their courage. a highly praised novelpraise somebody/something to the skies (=praise someone or something very much)2 PRAISEto give thanks to God and show your respect to Him, especially by singing in a church3 → God/Heaven be praisedTHESAURUSpraise to say that you admire and approve of someone or something, especially publiclyThe film was praised by the critics when it first came out.The report praises staff in both schools.It’s important to praise children.congratulate to tell someone that you think it is good that they have achieved somethingI congratulated him on his success.The government should be congratulated for what they have achieved.compliment to say to someone that you like how they look, or you like something they have doneShe complimented me on my new hairstyle.He complimented my cooking.flatter to praise someone in order to please them or get something from them, even though you do not mean itHe had persuaded her to buy it by flattering her and being charming.You’re just flattering me!rave about something (also enthuse about something formal) to talk about something you enjoy or admire in an excited way, and say that it is very good. Rave is rather informal, whereas enthuse is much more formal and is used mainly in written EnglishEveryone is raving about the movie.She enthused about the joys of motherhood.applaud formal to publicly praise a decision, action, idea etcBusiness leaders applauded the decision.A spokesperson applauded the way the festival had been run.commend formal to praise someone or something, especially officiallyAfter the battle, Andrew Jackson commended him for ‘his courage and fidelity’.The officers should be commended for their prompt action.hail somebody/something as something especially written to describe someone or something in a way that shows you have a very good opinion of them, especially in newspapers, on television reports etcThe book was hailed as a masterpiece. Journalists and music writers hailed the band as ‘the next big thing’.He is being hailed as the new James Dean. → See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
praise• Fire chiefs praised a 10-year-old girl who saved her brother's life yesterday.• The new freeway plan has been praised by local business leaders.• The couple denied the allegations, and the court heard they were once praised by social services for their fostering work.• His column was a regular and highly praised feature of the newspaper.• Local people were praised for their calm response to the crisis.• Izanarni praises Izanagi, and he returns with praises for her, though it worries him that the woman spoke first.• I felt sick when she praised the lead, knowing that I wasn't really coping.• He praised the soldiers for overcoming adverse conditions, including less-than-gourmet food and less-than-plush accommodations.• Andrews' ballet designs, created over eight months of intensive work, were much praised when premiered in Birmingham in June.• Being able to praise yourself will give you power and control over your own life.praise somebody/something to the skies• Yet now he was praising her to the skies.praisepraise2 ●●● W3 noun [uncountable] 1 PRAISEwords that you say or write in order to praise someone or something OPP criticism It's important to give children plenty of praise and encouragement. Her teacher was full of praise for her work. His first novel received high praise. Gregory was singled out (= he was chosen in particular) for special praise. The film has won praise from audiences and critics alike.in praise of somebody/something He wrote a poem in praise of his hero.2 PRAISETHANKthe expression of respect and thanks to God Let us give praise unto the Lord. songs of praise3 → praise be! → sing somebody’s praises at sing(4)COLLOCATIONSverbsgive somebody praiseGive your dog plenty of praise when it behaves well.get praiseHis actions did not get the praise they deserved.win/earn/receive praiseThe trade deal won praise from the American business community.deserve praiseShe deserves praise for all the charity work she does.be singled out for praise (=be the one person who is praised)His work was singled out for praise by the examiners.heap/lavish praise on somebody (=praise them a lot)Ireland's manager has heaped praise on his team.shower somebody with praise (=praise them a lot)Taiwan's media lately showered praise on Li Yundi, the 18-year-old piano prodigy.adjectiveshigh praise (=a lot of praise)The film won high praise from critics and audiences alike.special praiseMy sister was constantly singled out for special praise.lavish praise (=very high praise)United’s captain received lavish praise from his manager.faint praise (=comments that seem to praise someone, but in a way that does not really give them much praise)He wins faint praise as ‘the only candidate with a grain of sense’.phrasesbe full of praise for somebody (=praise them a lot)Captain Jones was full of praise for his men.have nothing but praise for somebody/something (=praise them a lot, especially when they have had to deal with a difficult situation)Passengers had nothing but praise for the pilot.words of praiseShe still had some words of praise for her ex-husband’s wit and charm. Examples from the Corpus
praise• We allow our feelings to flow out towards him in adoration, confession, thanksgiving and praise.• Some critics, however, still gave praise where praise was due.• Mintzberg deserves high praise for his perceptiveness in issuing these caveats about the widespread enthusiasm for the adhocracy arrangement.• She said you have talent, and that's high praise coming from a best-selling author like her.• The beauty or grandeur of nature may inspire praise.• Douglas came in for much praise.• The police deserve a lot of praise for the way they handled the situation.• The power of praise is often overlooked.• In subtle ways, he seeks praise and affirmation from those he knows it's safe to trust.• It turns out, however, the praise coming Bayless' way is well deserved.• The charity has earned widespread praise for its work.in praise of somebody/something• Between 1948 and 1957 a thousand titles a year appeared in praise of Mary.• He used their own speeches once made in praise of the measures.• Words fail me in praise of your company and its workforce.• Even the exiled Bustamante wrote from Paris in praise of the president and the new administration.• The pamphlet is prefaced by an elegant poem in praise of the author by James Drake.• They are merely arrogant words in praise of himself.Origin praise1 (1200-1300) Old French preisier, from Late Latin pretiare “to value highly”, from Latin pretium; → PRICE1 