congratulate

verb

con·​grat·​u·​late kən-ˈgra-chə-ˌlāt How to pronounce congratulate (audio)
-ˈgra-jə-
congratulated; congratulating

transitive verb

1
: to express vicarious pleasure to (a person) on the occasion of success or good fortune
graciously congratulated the winner
also : to feel pleased with
congratulating herself for a job well done
2
archaic : to express sympathetic pleasure at (an event)
3
obsolete : salute, greet
congratulator noun

Examples of congratulate in a Sentence

I'd like to congratulate you on your success. She congratulated us on our test results. She congratulated herself for getting the best grade in her class.
Recent Examples on the Web On Tuesday, Travolta, 70, congratulated Chalamet, 28, on Instagram for joining him in sharing the record of having two top-grossing films in eight months — after over four decades of holding the record on his own. Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024 Putin congratulated them on the annexation and expressed satisfaction that Donbas and other areas of southeastern Ukraine were also now under Russian control. Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 18 Mar. 2024 Sanders released a statement Monday congratulating AstraZeneca and urging other companies to follow suit. Aaron Gregg, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 After, Harry, 39, appeared virtually to congratulate the award recipients as a group, according to video shared on social media. Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 SpaceX's Elon Musk had just congratulated his team a little earlier. By marcia Dunn, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 Russell was at the center of a controversy in the legislature in February when a measure to congratulate her for her Grammy win was sent to legislative purgatory by Republican members of the assembly, even as a similar resolution to congratulate the group Paramore passed without incident. Chris Willman, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024 There are numerous photos of the pair together dating back to the 1990s (which makes the flub all the more puzzling), and the Sherlock Holmes actor congratulated the Rum Diary star after the conclusion of his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard in 2021. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 11 Mar. 2024 Emma Stone, second from left, meets with Sally Field, third from left, backstage as Michelle Yeoh, left, Jessica Lange and Jennifer Lawrence, right, gather to congratulate Stone for winning lead actress. Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'congratulate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin congratulatus, past participle of congratulari to wish joy, from com- + gratulari to wish joy, from gratus pleasing — more at grace

First Known Use

1539, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of congratulate was in 1539

Dictionary Entries Near congratulate

Cite this Entry

“Congratulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/congratulate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

congratulate

verb
con·​grat·​u·​late kən-ˈgrach-ə-ˌlāt How to pronounce congratulate (audio)
congratulated; congratulating
: to express pleasure to on account of success or good fortune
congratulate the winner
Etymology

from Latin congratulatus "has wished joy," derived from Latin con-, com- "with, together" and gratulari "to wish joy," from gratus "pleasing, agreeable, thankful" — related to grace, gratitude

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