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.
As family, friends and colleagues dropped by his table to offer congratulations, he confessed that he was eager to get back to the office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
And, perhaps more importantly, congratulations on paying off $40,000 worth of debt.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Trump offered his hearty congratulations to De la Espriella on Monday.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted his congratulations to de la Espriella on X, saying that “Colombia’s best days are ahead.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
In Berlin, Adolf Hitler wired his congratulations to Schmeling and sent his wife flowers.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.
