congratulations
Britishplural noun
Explanation
"Kudos," "well-done," and other words of praise are forms of congratulations, or an expression of approval and acclaim. Congratulations are expressed for good wishes on a special occasion, not just an accomplishment. For example, you wouldn't tell someone who just had a baby, "Good job on your accomplishment," but you would say, "Congratulations!" If, however, someone says "congratulations!" when you drop your ice cream cone or get a bad grade on your math test, they're probably being sarcastic.
Vocabulary lists containing congratulations
A Graduation Lexicon
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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 6
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List 3
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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 Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!” he wrote.
From Salon • Jun. 14, 2026
Afterwards, Florence said he told her: "Congratulations, you will be one of our new Sport girls and you're going to get lots of work."
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
"I feel it is important for me to remain in Washington, D.C., at the White House during this important period of time. Congratulations to Don and Bettina!"
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Congratulations are in order for the law enforcement and intelligence agencies that cooperated on Mr. Al-Saadi’s tracking and capture.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
“Good morning, Miss Charles. My name is Vanessa Martin. I saw you on television in the Miss America pageant. Congratulations on placing as first runner-up. You did New Jersey proud!”
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
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.
