extol
Americanverb (used with object)
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extols,
present (3rd person singular)
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extolled,
past participle, past
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extolling
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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extollernoun
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extollmentnoun
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extolmentnoun
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superextolverb (used with object)
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superextollverb (used with object)
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extollinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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extolsimple
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extolssimple
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have extolledperfect
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has extolledperfect
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am extollingprogressive
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are extollingprogressive
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is extollingprogressive
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have been extollingperfect progressive
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has been extollingperfect progressive
Past
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extolledsimple
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had extolledperfect
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was extollingprogressive
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were extollingprogressive
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had been extollingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of extol
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English extollen, from Latin extollere “to lift up, raise,” equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + tollere “to lift, raise up”
Explanation
If you have a crush on a guy who likes your best friend, it can be very depressing to listen to him extol your friend's virtues, while you just nod and smile. If you extol something, you praise it very highly. The Bible says: "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven..." Nebuchadnezzar II was king of the second Babylonian Empire, the one who sent the Jews into exile. In some translations of the Bible, the word honor is replaced with glorify. Praise, extol, honor, glorify all mean about the same. The use of multiple synonymous words in a given sentence is a frequent motif in the Bible.
Vocabulary lists containing extol
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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.
See Examples For:
Lifestyle influencers including Brett Chody extol its benefits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Also, I am afraid your columns do not sufficiently extol the value of work, which Voltaire rightly claimed protects us from the evils of boredom, vice, and poverty.
From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026
That’s because after DJ Khaled and Kenan Thompson extol the virtues of this miracle drug, a voiceover recounts a litany of potential side effects—vomiting, diarrhea, kidney problems, things of that nature.
From Slate ● Feb. 8, 2026
A local gathering in honor of loved ones in the military, during which community leaders extol the bravery and resolve of those who serve, is among the best-attended events in my small rural town.
From Salon ● Dec. 14, 2024
Then he put the maps in the books he wrote to extol his adventures.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
A Forrest Gump of a tale, “Theo of Golden” extols the virtues of close observation, deep conversation and offline connection.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
That robustness was his way with Leonard Cohen’s “Mother Mother,” and of “Father Death’s Blues,” in which Ginsberg extols death as the world’s greatest lover.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
Barrett extols a judge’s obligation to “resolve disputes according to the ground rules that the people have prescribed,” but that responsibility is meaningless in the absence of reliable evidence.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2025
The piece, published in May of that year, extols Kilmer’s dogged positivity, even at the pandemic’s terrifying peak.
From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2025
He reassures Pa and Ma about Vincent, and he extols their virtues to Vincent.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
For decades, research has extolled the benefits of a Mediterranean diet low in sugar, rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and doused in olive oil.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
Gov. Gavin Newsom extolled free school meals, universal transitional kindergarten and other accomplishments in his tenure in California, a period marked by over $100 billion in increased spending.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
I have extolled the virtues of both of these lessons in my columns over the years.
From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026
In that same evening address, President Trump extolled the US's oil producing capabilities.
From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2026
Killconey the ferret extolled the virtues of his weasel friend, Scragg, who had met his death at the foot of the big elm tree.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Founded in 2008 by Trevyn and Julian McGowan, the gallery opened a New York outpost this spring with a pair of shows that highlighted the breadth of its homeland’s creativity while extolling its culture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
The president is extolling the virtues of the East Wing ballroom.
From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026
Saylor has been anxious to promote the preferred stock, extolling its high-yield/ low volatility returns.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 16, 2026
When Cathy first meets Edgar and Isabella, she climbs the wall of their estate and spies on the two having tea in a courtyard, where Isabella is extolling Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”
From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2026
Swoony, respectful, smart, kind, passionate...It was still extolling Sahil’s many, many virtues when he said, “Thanks.”
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
