Praise can be a quiet word of thanks or a stadium roaring your name. These ten words cover the range: formal praise (commend), loud public praise (acclaim, laud, extol), honors you can hold (accolade, tribute), deep lifelong respect (revere, venerate), lifting someone up (exalt) and praise that goes too far (adulation).
Key idea
To praise: commend (formally), laud and extol (highly, enthusiastically), exalt (raise high). Praise you receive: acclaim (public applause), accolade (an award or honor), tribute (a gift or act of respect), adulation (too much admiration). Deep respect: revere, venerate.
The ten words
Common mistake
exalt (praise, raise up) is not exult (rejoice). adulation goes beyond admiration toward flattery.
| word | part of speech | the kind of praise |
|---|---|---|
| commend | verb | formal, official |
| laud, extol | verb | high, enthusiastic |
| exalt | verb | raising someone up |
| revere, venerate | verb | deep, lasting respect |
| acclaim | noun (also verb) | loud public praise |
| accolade, tribute | noun | an honor or gift |
| adulation | noun | too much admiration |
exalt (raise up, praise) and exult (rejoice) differ by one letter. The fans exult in the win; the poem exalts the hero. And adulation goes beyond admiration: it is praise piled so high that it starts to feel like flattery.