shabash

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Hindi शाबाश (śābāś), from Classical Persian شاباش (šābāš), from the term شاد باش (šād bāš, “be happy”), from شاد (“joyful”) + باش (“be (imperative)”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃɑːbɑːʃ/

Interjection

shabash

1. (India) An exclamation of praise for an achievement.
   • 1899, Dr. Charles William Doyle, “How Nandha was Avenged”, in The Taming of the Jungle‎^[1], page 147:

     "'Shabash! coach-wan,' exclaimed the sahib; 'thou art a man, indeed, and shalt have Shere Bahadoor's skin as recompense for the hurt to thy stomach. Bid him come again.'

   • 1920, Sir James Willcocks, “Hurnam Singh”, in With the Indians in France‎^[2]:

     Shabash! Shabash! from every tongue, and mothers' hearts stood still

Alternative forms

• shavash

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:well done

Translations

interjection

• Assamese: চাবাচ (sabas), চাবাইচ (sabais)
• Bengali: শাবাশ (bn) (śabaś)
• Georgian: შაბაში (ka) (šabaši)
• Hindi: शाबाश (hi) (śābāś)
• Marathi: शाबास (śābās)
• Persian: شاباش (fa) (šâbâš)
• Punjabi: ਸ਼ਾਬਾਸ਼ (pa) (śābāś)

Anagrams

• Shahabs