celebrate

/ˈselɪbreɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈselɪbreɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈse-lə-ˌbrāt/ (ame, mw)

celebrate — verb

1. when people get together for parties, meals, or other enjoyable events because a

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

when people get together for parties, meals, or other enjoyable events because a special time or happy event has arrived

例句

The whole village gathered in the square to celebrate the harvest festival.

celebrate + noun phrase (occasion)

We celebrated my mother's birthday with a huge cake and lots of balloons.

celebrate + possessive + noun (event)

同義詞
  • mark

    more formal; often used for anniversaries or solemn occasions

  • commemorate

    more formal and serious; focuses on remembering rather than having fun

  • party

    informal; used as a verb mainly in everyday speech ('We partied all night')

反義詞
  • mourn

    opposite in emotion — mourning is the expression of grief, not joy

文法句型

celebrate + noun (occasion/event)

celebrate (no object)

用法筆記

This is the most common sense. Use 'celebrate + by doing something' to describe how people mark an occasion. The intransitive form ('We celebrated all night') is common in informal speech.

常見錯誤

❌We celebrated the party all night.
✅We celebrated at the party all night.
💡You celebrate an occasion (birthday, festival), not the party itself.
❌I want to celebrate for my success.
✅I want to celebrate my success.
💡'Celebrate' takes a direct object; no preposition is needed.

2. to publicly praise someone or something for their special qualities or achieveme

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to publicly praise someone or something for their special qualities or achievements

例句

The newspaper article celebrated the courage of the firefighters who saved the children.

celebrate + noun (abstract quality of someone)

Aiko's novel was celebrated by critics for its honest portrayal of family life.

passive: be celebrated by + agent + for + noun

同義詞
  • praise

    more general and everyday; less formal than this sense of 'celebrate'

  • honour

    similar formality; focuses on showing respect rather than expressing admiration

  • acclaim

    more formal; implies widespread public recognition

反義詞
  • criticize

    to express disapproval rather than admiration

文法句型

celebrate + noun (person/achievement/quality)

用法筆記

Unlike 'praise', this sense carries a tone of public recognition and honouring. The object is often an achievement, a quality, or a person's life work — not a simple everyday compliment. Frequently used in formal or semi-formal writing (reviews, speeches, articles).

常見錯誤

❌My boss celebrated me for finishing the report on time.
✅My boss praised me for finishing the report on time.
💡This sense is for notable, public recognition, not everyday workplace praise.

3. to be the priest or minister who leads a religious service such as Mass or a wed

3.動詞及物C1
釋義

to be the priest or minister who leads a religious service such as Mass or a wedding

例句

Father Thomas celebrated Mass at the small country church every Sunday morning.

celebrate + religious noun (Mass/service)

The bishop celebrated the wedding of the young couple in the old cathedral.

celebrate + noun (wedding/funeral as religious rite)

同義詞
  • perform

    more general; can apply to any type of ceremony, religious or secular

  • officiate

    formal; emphasizes acting as the official leader of a rite

  • conduct

    neutral; used for both religious and formal ceremonies

文法句型

celebrate + noun (religious service/sacrament/rite)

用法筆記

This sense is used almost exclusively in Christian contexts. The priest or minister 'celebrates' the service — laypeople attend or participate but do not 'celebrate' it in this sense. Distinguish from sense 1 (ENJOY AN OCCASION), where participants are taking part in the festivities, not leading them.