CONGRATULATE

compliment, congratulate

(verb) say something to someone that expresses praise; “He complimented her on her last physics paper”

congratulate, felicitate

(verb) express congratulations

preen, congratulate

(verb) pride or congratulate (oneself) for an achievement

pride, plume, congratulate

(verb) be proud of; “He prides himself on making it into law school”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

congratulate (third-person singular simple present congratulates, present participle congratulating, simple past and past participle congratulated)

To express one’s sympathetic pleasure or joy to the person(s) it is felt for.

(reflexive) To consider oneself fortunate in some matter.

Source: Wiktionary


Con*grat"u*late, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Congratulated; p.pr. & vb.n. Congratulating.] Etym: [L. congratulatus, p.p. of congratulari to wish joy abundantly; con- + gratulari to wish joy, from gratus pleasing. See Grateful.]

Definition: To address with expressions of sympathetic pleasure on account of some happy event affecting the person addressed; to wish joy to. It is the king's most sweet pleasure and affection to congratulate the princess at her pavilion. Shak. To congratulate one's self, to rejoice; to feel satisfaction; to consider one's self happy or fortunate.

Syn.

– To Congratulate, Felicitate. To felicitate is simply to wish a person joy. To congratulate has the additional signification of uniting in the joy of him whom we congratulate. Hence they are by no means synonymous. One who has lost the object of his affections by her marriage to a rival, might perhaps felicitate that rival on his success, but could never be expected to congratulate him on such an event. Felicitations are little better than compliments; congratulations are the expression of a genuine sympathy and joy. Trench.

Con*grat"u*late, v. i.

Definition: To express of feel sympathetic joy; as, to congratulate with one's country. [R.] Swift. The subjects of England may congratulate to themselves. Dryden.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

22 April 2025

BRIGHT

(adjective) made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing; reflecting a sheen or glow; “bright silver candlesticks”; “a burnished brass knocker”; “she brushed her hair until it fell in lustrous auburn waves”; “rows of shining glasses”; “shiny black patents”


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

Decaffeinated coffee is not caffeine-free. Studies from the National Institute of Health (US) have shown that virtually all decaf coffee types contain caffeine. A 236-ml (8-oz) cup of decaf coffee contains up to 7 mg of caffeine, whereas a regular cup provided 70-140 mg.

coffee icon