Synonyms

commend

American

[kuh-mend] / kəˈmɛnd /

verb (used with object)

to present, mention, or praise as worthy of confidence, notice, kindness, etc.; recommend.

to commend a friend to another;
to commend an applicant for employment.

Synonyms:

extol, laud, acclaim

Antonyms:

censure
to entrust; give in charge; deliver with confidence.

I commend my child to your care.

Synonyms:

convey, relegate, consign, commit
to cite or name with approval or special praise.

to commend a soldier for bravery.
Feudal Law. to place (oneself or one's land) under another's protection so as to become his vassal.
Archaic. to recommend (a person) to the kind remembrance of another.

commend British

/ kəˈmɛnd /

verb

to present or represent as being worthy of regard, confidence, kindness, etc; recommend
to give in charge; entrust
to express a good opinion of; praise
to give the regards of

commend me to your aunt

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See approve.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of commend

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English commenden, from Latin commendāre, equivalent to com- com- + -mendāre, combining form of mandāre; see mandate

Explanation

Have you ever shouted "Bravo!" at the end of a play or cooed "Good boy!" to the dog when he followed a command? Then you know how to commend someone — in other words, to express approval aloud. The most common meaning of commend is "to compliment." You commend someone when you tell them "Well done!" You can even say "I commend you on your hard work." Back in the days of Charles Dickens, commend often meant to put (someone or something) in the hands of someone else for safekeeping. Case in point: David Copperfield was out of luck when his cruel stepdad commended him to the equally cruel schoolmaster Mr. Creakle at Salem house.

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Vocabulary lists containing commend

"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act II

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I've Been to the Mountaintop" (1968)

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Much Ado About Nothing

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“The briefing was to initiate a direct dialog between the passengers who see the board and the Commend brand and its Intercom products,” he wrote in an email.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 3, 2023

Wolfgang Peer, a spokesperson for Commend International, confirmed to The Associated Press that the advertisement was real, but had been discontinued in 2022.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 3, 2023

Over the mantel in his disorderly room was the legend: "Commend a wedded life but keep thyself a bachelor."

From Time Magazine Archive

"Commend a wedded life, but keep thyself a bachelor."

From Caricature and Other Comic Art in all Times and many Lands. by Parton, James

Commend your soul to God, M. Lenormand, and pray for me, Parbury-Ribeira, better known by the name of Baron Altenheim.

From 813 by Leblanc, Maurice

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023