praise

English

Etymology

From Middle English praisen, preisen, from Old French proisier, preisier (“to value, prize”), from Late Latin pretiō (“to value, prize”) from pretium (“price, worth, reward”). See prize. Displaced native Middle English lofen, loven (“to praise”) (from Old English lofian, compare Middle English and Old English lof (“praise”), see love, lofe, loff), Middle English herien (“to praise, glorify, celebrate”) (from Old English herian), Middle English rosen (“to praise, glorify”) (from Old Norse hrósa).

Pronunciation

• enPR: prāz, IPA^(key): /pɹeɪz/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪz
• Homophones: prays, preys

Noun

praise (countable and uncountable, plural praises)

1. commendation; favourable representation in words
2. worship

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:praise

Antonyms

• blame
• criticize
• See Thesaurus:praise

Derived terms

Terms derived from praise (noun)

• damn with faint praise

• praise name
• praiseworthy

• sing the praises

Translations

commendation; favorable representation in words

• Armenian: գովեստ (hy) (govest)
• Belarusian: пахвала́ f (paxvalá), хвала́ f (xvalá)
• Catalan: alabança (ca) f, lloança (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 稱讚, 称赞 (cing¹ zaan³), 讚揚, 赞扬 (zaan³ joeng⁴), 表揚, 表扬 (biu² joeng⁴), 褒揚, 褒扬 (bou¹ joeng⁴), 稱道, 称道 (cing¹ dou⁶), 稱揚, 称扬 (cing¹ joeng⁴), 表彰 (biu² zoeng¹)

  Mandarin: 稱讚 (zh), 称赞 (zh) (chēngzàn), 讚揚 (zh), 赞扬 (zh) (zànyáng), 表揚 (zh), 表扬 (zh) (biǎoyáng), 褒揚 (zh), 褒扬 (zh) (bāoyáng), 稱道 (zh), 称道 (zh) (chēngdào), 稱揚 (zh), 称扬 (zh) (chēngyáng), 表彰 (zh) (biǎozhāng)

  Min Nan: 稱讚, 称赞 (chheng-chàn), 讚揚 (zh-min-nan), 赞扬 (chàn-iông), 表揚 (zh-min-nan), 表扬 (zh-min-nan) (piáu-iông), 褒揚, 褒扬 (po-iông), 表彰 (zh-min-nan) (piáu-chiong), 呵咾 (o-ló), 褒 (zh) (po)

• Czech: chvála (cs) f, pochvala f
• Dutch: lof (nl) m
• Finnish: ylistys (fi), kehu (fi), kehuminen (fi)
• French: louange (fr) f
• Friulian: laud m
• Galician: loanza f
• Georgian: შექება (šekeba), ქება (keba), ქება-დიდება (keba-dideba)
• German: Lob (de) n
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: ἔπαινος m (épainos)

• Hindi: तारीफ़ f (tārīf), प्रशंसा (hi) f (praśansā)
• Icelandic: lof, hrós (is) n
• Indonesian: pujian (id)
• Irish: clú m
• Italian: elogio (it), lode (it) f

• Japanese: 賞賛 (しょうさん, shōsan)
• Kurdish: pesn (ku)
• Latin: laus f
• Malayalam: പ്രശംസിക്കുക (ml) (praśaṃsikkuka), വാഴ്തുക (vāḻtuka), പുകഴ്തുക (pukaḻtuka), പ്രശംസിക്കുക (ml) (praśaṃsikkuka), പുകഴ്തുക (pukaḻtuka), വാഴ്തുക (vāḻtuka)
• Ngazidja Comorian: swifa class 9/10
• Persian: ستایش‎‎ (fa) (setâyeš), ثنا‎‎ (fa) (sanâ), آفرین‎‎ (fa) (âfarin)
• Polish: pochwała (pl) f
• Portuguese: prezar (pt), louvor (pt)
• Romanian: laudă (ro) f, elogiu (ro) n, glorificare (ro) f
• Russian: похвала́ (ru) f (poxvalá), восхвале́ние (ru) n (vosxvalénije), хвала́ (ru) f (xvalá)
• Sanskrit: शँसति (sa) (śam̐sati), स्तौति (sa) (stauti), प्रशम्सा (praśamsā), स्तौति (sa) (stauti), शँसति (sa) (śam̐sati)
• Scottish Gaelic: cliù m, luaidh m, moladh m
• Slovak: chvála f, pochvala f
• Slovene: hvála (sl) f
• Spanish: alabanza (es) f, loa (es) f, enaltecimiento (es) m
• Tamil: வௌகற (vaukaṟa)
• Telugu: పొగడ్త (te) (pogaḍta)
• Turkish: övgü (tr), methiye (tr)
• Ukrainian: похвала́ f (poxvalá)
• Urdu: تعریف‎‎ f (tārīf)
• Yiddish: לויב‎‎ f (loyb)

worship

• Arabic: عِبَادَة‎‎ f (ʿibāda), حَمْد‎‎ m (ḥamd)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 讚美, 赞美 (zaan³ mei⁵)

  Mandarin: 讚美 (zh), 赞美 (zh) (zànměi)

  Min Nan: 呵咾 (zh-min-nan) (o-ló), 讚美 (zh-min-nan), 赞美 (chàn-bí)

• Estonian: ülistamine
• Finnish: ylistys (fi), palvonta (fi)
• French: louange (fr) f
• German: Lob (de) n
• Italian: adorazione (it) f, gloria (it) f
• Japanese: 礼賛 (らいさん, raisan), 礼讃 (らいさん, raisan)

• Persian: ستایش‎‎ (fa) (setâyeš)
• Portuguese: louvor (pt), adoração (pt) f
• Romanian: devoțiune (ro) f, adorare (ro) f, venerare (ro) f, divinizare (ro) f
• Russian: прославле́ние (ru) n (proslavlénije), хвала́ (ru) f (xvalá)
• Scottish Gaelic: cliù m, luaidh m, moladh m
• Spanish: adoración (es)
• Swahili: shangilia (sw)
• Tagalog: papuri
• Telugu: భజన (te) (bhajana)
• Turkish: hamt (tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Dutch: ^{(please verify)} eerbetoon (nl)
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} lode (it) f, ^{(please verify)} elogio (it) m, ^{(please verify)} complimento (it) m
• Latin: ^{(please verify)} laus f

• Slovak: ^{(please verify)} chvála f, ^{(please verify)} pochvala f
• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} alabanza (es) f

Verb

praise (third-person singular simple present praises, present participle praising, simple past and past participle praised)

1. To give praise to; to commend, glorify, or worship.

   Be sure to praise Bobby for his excellent work at school this week.

   Some of the passengers were heard praising God as the stricken plane landed safely.

Antonyms

• blame

Translations

to give praise to

• Albanian: lëvdoj (sq), lavdëroj (sq)
• Arabic: مَدَحَ‎‎ (madaḥa), أَثْنَى‎‎ (ʾaṯnā), أَطْرَى‎‎ (ʾaṭrā), حَمِدَ‎‎ (ḥamida)

  Egyptian Arabic: شكر في‎‎ (šakar fi)

• Armenian: գովել (hy) (govel)
• Aromanian: alavdu
• Belarusian: хвалі́ць impf (xvalícʹ)
• Breton: feurmiñ (br)
• Bulgarian: хваля́ (bg) impf (hvaljá)
• Catalan: lloar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 讚, 赞 (zaan³), 讚美, 赞美 (zaan³ mei⁵) (worship)

  Mandarin: 讚揚 (zh), 赞扬 (zh) (zànyáng), 稱讚 (zh), 称赞 (zh) (chēngzàn), 表揚 (zh), 表扬 (zh) (biǎoyáng), 誇獎 (zh), 夸奖 (zh) (kuājiǎng), 讚美 (zh), 赞美 (zh) (zànměi) (worship)

• Cornish: gormel, praysya
• Czech: chválit (cs) impf
• Danish: rose (da)
• Dutch: loven (nl), prijzen (nl), eren (nl)
• Esperanto: laŭdi
• Estonian: ülistama
• Faroese: rósa
• Finnish: ylistää (fi), kehua (fi)
• French: louer (fr), féliciter (fr), prôner (fr), vénérer (fr)
• Friulian: laudâ
• Galician: loar (gl), gabar (gl)
• German: loben (de), preisen (de)
• Greek: επαινώ (el) (epainó), εγκωμιάζω (el) (egkomiázo)

  Ancient: αἰνέω (ainéō), ἐπαινέω (epainéō)

• Hebrew: שיבח \ שִׁבֵּחַ‎‎ (shibéakh)
• Hindi: तारीफ़ करन (tārīf karan)
• Hungarian: dicsér (hu), méltat (hu), dicsőít (hu)
• Icelandic: hrósa
• Ido: laudar (io)
• Irish: mol, cuach

  Old Irish: molaidir

• Italian: lodare (it), elogiare (it)
• Japanese: 褒める (ja) (ほめる, homeru), 称える (たたえる, tataeru), 讃える (たたえる, tataeru)
• Korean: 칭찬하다 (ko) (chingchanhada)
• Kurdish: ^{(please verify)} pesinandin (ku), ^{(please verify)} pesn dan (ku), ^{(please verify)} meth kirin (ku)
• Latin: laudo (la)
• Latvian: slavēt (lv)
• Lithuanian: gìrti (lt), pagìrti

• Macedonian: фали impf (fali)
• Malay: memuji
• Manx: moyl
• Maore Comorian: usifu
• Mirandese: agabar
• Ngazidja Comorian: uhimiɗia
• Occitan: lausar (oc)
• Old Church Slavonic:

  Cyrillic: хвалити impf (xvaliti)

• Old English: herian
• Old Norse: hrósa
• Persian: ستودن‎‎ (fa) (setudan), تعریف کردن‎‎ (ta'rif kardan)
• Polish: chwalić (pl) impf, pochwalić pf
• Portuguese: louvar (pt), enaltecer (pt), elogiar (pt)
• Romanian: lăuda (ro)
• Romansch: ludar, luder, lodar
• Russian: хвали́ть (ru) impf (xvalítʹ), похвали́ть (ru) pf (poxvalítʹ), восхваля́ть (ru) impf (vosxvaljátʹ), превозноси́ть (ru) impf (prevoznosítʹ)
• Sardinian: alabai, alabare
• Scottish Gaelic: mol, luaidh
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: хвалити impf

  Roman: hvaliti (sh) impf

• Slovak: chváliť impf, pochváliť pf
• Slovene: hvaliti (sl) impf
• Spanish: alabar (es)
• Swahili: shangilia (sw)
• Swedish: berömma (sv)
• Telugu: పొగడు (te) (pogaḍu), భజించు (te) (bhajiñcu), మెచ్చుకొను (te) (meccukonu)
• Thai: ยกย่อง (th) (yók-yɔ̂ng), สรรเสริญ (th) (sǎn-sə̌ən)
• Tocharian A: päl-
• Tocharian B: päl-
• Ukrainian: хвали́ти impf (xvalýty)
• Urdu: تعریف کرنا‎‎ (tārīf karnā)
• Vietnamese: khen ngợi (vi)
• Welsh: canmol (cy), clodfori (cy), moli (cy), moliannu (cy)
• Westrobothnian: höläs
• Yiddish: לויבן‎‎ (loybn)
• Zulu: -bonga, -dumisa
• ǃXóõ: da̰ã

Further reading

• praise in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• praise in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Anagrams

• Arispe, Parise, Pearis, Persia, aspire, paires, paries, spirea

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Scottish Gaelic

Noun

praise f

1. genitive singular of prais