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Meaning & use

praising

verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈpreɪzɪŋ/
US/ˈpreɪzɪŋ/

“praising” is a form of “praise”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meanings

  1. verbtransitive

    Present participle of praise: saying warmly that someone or something is good or admirable.

    Grammar: Takes an object, often with for: praising her for her effort.

    Patterns

    • praising someone for something
    • praising something as something

    The coach was praising her for her patience.

    Critics are praising the new film as a masterpiece.

    He spent the evening praising his daughter's science project.

  2. verbtransitivereligion

    Present participle of praise in religious use: honoring God with words or songs.

    Grammar: Takes God or a name as object: praising the Lord.

    Patterns

    • praising God

    The choir sang, praising God with every verse.

    They gathered at dawn, praising the harvest.

Common combinations

praising someone for something
She is praising her team for finishing early.
praising the work
He kept praising the work of the volunteers.
praising highly
Reviewers were praising the book highly.
praising someone's courage
The mayor was praising the firefighters' courage.
praising publicly
Praising employees publicly can boost morale.

Synonyms and how they differ

complimenting
Complimenting is usually a short personal remark, while praising can be longer and more formal.
applauding
Applauding can mean clapping and is often figurative, whereas praising is always spoken or written.
commending
Commending is more official and suggests formally approving someone's actions.
flattering
Flattering means praising insincerely to win favor, which praising does not imply.

Opposites

criticizingcondemning

Word family

praise verb
to express approval or admiration
praise noun
words that show approval
praiseworthy adjective
deserving admiration
praised verb
past form of praise

Commonly confused: praising or raising? praising or prizing?

praising vs raising

Raising means lifting or growing something, and it only looks like praising because of the sound.

praising vs prizing

Prizing means valuing something highly, not expressing approval aloud.

Practice

The headteacher was ____ the students for their hard work.

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