sing praises

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrasereligion

   to praise God or a god by singing, especially in worship.

   Grammar: Often followed by 'to' plus the deity: 'sing praises to the Lord'. The object is usually plural 'praises'.

   Patterns

   • sing praises to God
   • sing praises to the Lord
   • sing God's praises

   The congregation stood to sing praises to God.

   Every morning the monks sing praises in the chapel.

   The psalm calls on all nations to sing praises to the Lord.

2. 2phrasefixed phrasefigurative

   to speak about someone with strong approval and admiration.

   Grammar: Usually appears as 'sing someone's praises' with a possessive word before 'praises'.

   Patterns

   • sing someone's praises
   • sing the praises of someone

   After the concert, critics sang the young pianist's praises for weeks.

   Her colleagues sing her praises whenever her name comes up.

Common combinations

sing praises to God

The choir rose to sing praises to God.

sing someone's praises

The coach sang the team's praises after their unexpected victory.

sing the praises of

The article sings the praises of a little-known local restaurant.

sing and dance

The children sang and danced all afternoon at the festival.

Synonyms and how they differ

worship

A broader verb covering prayer, singing and ritual; 'sing praises' names only the musical part.

praise

The general verb; it does not require singing, while 'sing praises' does in its literal sense.

glorify

Formal and religious; it stresses honoring God's greatness rather than the act of singing.

Opposites

Word family

praise noun

words expressing approval or admiration

praise verb

to express approval or admiration

praiseworthy adjective

deserving praise

singing noun

the act of making music with the voice

Commonly confused: sing praises or prices?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “sing praises”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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