Meaning & use
laud
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitiveformal
To praise someone or something strongly, often in public.
Grammar: Takes an object, often with for: laud her for her courage.
Patterns
- laud someone for something
- laud something
Critics lauded the film for its honesty.
The mayor lauded the volunteers' efforts.
She was lauded as a pioneer.
noununcountablearchaicreligion
Praise or a hymn of praise.
Grammar: Archaic or religious; the plural lauds is a church service.
The choir sang lauds at dawn.
The poem is a song of laud.
Word forms
| third person singular | lauds |
|---|---|
| past tense | lauded |
| past participle | lauded |
| -ing form | lauding |
Common combinations
- widely lauded
- The novel was widely lauded.
- laud someone's efforts
- They lauded her efforts.
- lauded as
- He was lauded as a hero.
- critically lauded
- A critically lauded debut.
Synonyms and how they differ
- praise
- The everyday word with the same meaning.
- applaud
- Often suggests clapping or public approval.
- extol
- Even stronger, praising to the skies.
- commend
- Mild, often from an authority.
Opposites
Word family
- laudable adjective
- deserving praise
- laudatory adjective
- expressing praise
Commonly confused: laud or lord?
laud vs lord
Sounds similar, but a lord is a noble; to laud is to praise.
Practice
Reviewers ___ the chef for her creative use of local ingredients.
Choose one answer.
Lauded means praised. The others are real words but have unrelated meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “laud”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.