Meaning & use
congratulate
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
To tell someone you are happy about their success or good fortune.
Grammar: Takes a direct object (the person) and often 'on' for the reason: congratulate someone on something.
Patterns
- congratulate someone on something
- congratulate someone for doing something
- congratulate yourself
I congratulated her on passing her driving test.
The manager congratulated the team on their excellent results.
He congratulated himself on finishing the project early.
verbtransitive
To express good wishes to someone for a happy event, such as a wedding or birth.
Grammar: Often used in the phrase 'congratulate someone on their wedding' or similar.
Patterns
- congratulate someone on their wedding
- congratulate someone on the birth of a baby
We congratulated them on their wedding anniversary.
She congratulated her friend on the birth of her daughter.
Let me congratulate you on your engagement.
Word forms
| third person singular | congratulates |
|---|---|
| past tense | congratulated |
| past participle | congratulated |
| -ing form | congratulating |
Common combinations
- congratulate someone on
- They congratulated him on his promotion.
- congratulate yourself
- You should congratulate yourself on a job well done.
- warmly congratulate
- I warmly congratulate all the winners.
- congratulate someone for
- She congratulated him for his bravery.
Synonyms and how they differ
- compliment
- To praise someone's appearance or work; it does not necessarily involve a happy occasion like 'congratulate' does.
- praise
- To express approval of someone's actions or qualities; 'congratulate' focuses on a specific success or event.
- felicitate
- Very formal and rare; 'congratulate' is the normal everyday word.
Opposites
Word family
- congratulation noun
- Words expressing praise or good wishes for an achievement.
- congratulatory adjective
- Expressing congratulations, as in a congratulatory message.
Commonly confused: congratulate or congratulate vs. celebrate?
congratulate vs congratulate vs. celebrate
'Congratulate' means to tell someone you are happy for them; 'celebrate' means to do something enjoyable to mark an event, like having a party.
Practice
I want to ___ you on your excellent exam results.
Choose one answer.
'Congratulate' is the correct verb for expressing happiness at someone's success, and it fits the pattern 'congratulate someone on something'. 'Celebrate' would need an event, not a person, as its object; 'compliment' and 'praise' do not take 'on' in this way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “congratulate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.