praise
/preɪz/ (bre, ipa) · /preɪz/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈprāz/ (ame, mw)
praise — verb
- praisepresent simple I / you / we / they
- praises3rd person singular
- praising-ing form
- praisedpast simple
1. to say clearly that a person, action, or thing is very good and deserves approva
to say clearly that a person, action, or thing is very good and deserves approval.
The coach praised Mia for staying calm in the final minute.
praise + person for + -ing
After dinner, Grandpa praised the soup and asked for more.
The newspaper praised the small library for serving farm families.
At graduation, Lena was praised for helping new students settle in.
- compliment
often used for polite personal remarks about appearance, behaviour, or small successes
- commend
more formal; common in official comments about effort or service
- applaud
often suggests strong public approval, sometimes with clapping
文法句型
praise + person/thing
praise + person for + noun/-ing
be praised for + noun/-ing
用法筆記
Often takes a person or thing as the direct object, with 'for' to add the reason. Distinguish from sense 2, which is specifically about honouring a god.
常見錯誤
2. to honour a god by speaking or singing with deep respect, love, and thanks.
to honour a god by speaking or singing with deep respect, love, and thanks.
At sunrise, the monks praised God with a slow song.
praise + God/deity
In the temple, families praised the goddess at the spring festival.
The choir praised the Lord while candles burned near the door.
Each night, Aunt Rosa praised God for bringing her son home.
文法句型
praise + God/deity
praise + God/deity with + song/prayer
用法筆記
The object is usually God, the Lord, or the name of another deity. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about showing approval of people or things.
常見錯誤
praise — noun
1. words, spoken or written, that express warm approval of a person, action, or res
words, spoken or written, that express warm approval of a person, action, or result.
The young chef received praise for the soup from every table.
receive praise for + noun
After the play, Ms. Lin gave special praise to the boy playing the king.
give praise to + person
Her report won praise from two hospital directors.
Maya's tiger poster earned praise from the art teacher at school.
At dinner, Grandpa was full of praise for Nina's first cake.
- approval
broader and not always expressed aloud
- compliments
often more personal and conversational
- commendation
formal word for strong approval, often in official contexts
文法句型
receive praise
give praise
praise for + noun/-ing
words of praise
用法筆記
Often appears after verbs like 'give', 'receive', 'win', and 'earn'. Unlike noun sense 2, this sense can describe approving words about any person or thing, not only a god.
常見錯誤
2. words or songs offered to a god as part of worship or thanks.
words or songs offered to a god as part of worship or thanks.
At dawn, the choir's voices rose in praise beneath the church windows.
in praise
The children sang songs of praise before the evening meal.
songs of praise
Quiet praise to God came from the back pews after the hymn.
At midnight, the hall filled with praise after the last prayer.
- worship
broader; includes actions and rituals as well as words
- adoration
stronger and more emotional
- thanksgiving
focuses more on giving thanks than on honouring
文法句型
offer praise to + God/deity
songs of praise
in praise
用法筆記
Often appears in phrases such as 'in praise' and 'songs of praise'. Distinguish from noun sense 1, which means ordinary approving words about people or things.