Meaning & use
applaud
To show approval by clapping the hands, or to praise an action or achievement.
See it in a sentence
The audience stood to applaud the orchestra after the final movement ended.
Critics applauded the director's bold decision to end the film without resolution.
A note on using this word
Applaud works literally for clapping and figuratively for praising a decision, even without any actual sound.
Words with a similar meaning
clapcommend
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
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