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Synonyms

extol

American  
[ik-stohl] / ɪkˈstoʊl /
Or extoll

verb (used with object)

extols, present (3rd person singular) extolled, past participle, past extolling present participle
  1. to praise highly; laud; eulogize.

    to extol the beauty of Naples.

    Synonyms:
    worship, venerate, panegyrize, hail, applaud, acclaim, exalt, glorify, commend, celebrate
    Antonyms:
    disparage

extol British  
/ ɪkˈstəʊl /

verb

  1. (tr) to praise lavishly; exalt

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing extol

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.

Extol the wonders of the program, he said.

From New York Times • Sep. 2, 2013

Now Allah be blessed!" men say: "Extol we his Maker and Fashioner aye!

From Alaeddin and the Enchanted Lamp by Payne, John

Extol him who rides on the clouds: to Yah, his name!

From The World English Bible (WEB): Psalms by Anonymous

"Towards him they bend With awful reverence prone; and as a god Extol him equal to the Highest in heaven."

From Pilgrimage from the Alps to the Tiber Or The Influence of Romanism on Trade, Justice, and Knowledge by Wylie, James Aitken

Extol, eks-tol′, v.t. to magnify: to praise:—pr.p. extolling; pa.p. extolled′.—n.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various

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