applaud
Americanverb (used without object)
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applauds,
present (3rd person singular)
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applauded,
past participle, past
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applauding
present participle
-
to clap the hands as an expression of approval, appreciation, acclamation, etc..
They applauded wildly at the end of the opera.
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to express approval; give praise; acclaim.
verb (used with object)
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applauds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
applauded,
past participle, past
-
applauding
present participle
-
to clap the hands so as to show approval, appreciation, etc., of.
to applaud an actor; to applaud a speech.
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to praise or express approval of.
to applaud a person's ambition.
verb
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to indicate approval of (a person, performance, etc) by clapping the hands
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(usually tr) to offer or express approval or praise of (an action, person, or thing)
I applaud your decision
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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applaudernoun
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overapplaudverb
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reapplaudverb
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applaudingadjective
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self-applaudingadjective
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unapplaudedadjective
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unapplaudingadjective
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well-applaudedadjective
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applaudinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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applaudsimple
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applaudssimple
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have applaudedperfect
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has applaudedperfect
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am applaudingprogressive
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are applaudingprogressive
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is applaudingprogressive
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have been applaudingperfect progressive
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has been applaudingperfect progressive
Past
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applaudedsimple
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had applaudedperfect
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was applaudingprogressive
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were applaudingprogressive
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had been applaudingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of applaud
1530–40; < Latin applaudere, equivalent to ap- ap- 1 + plaudere to clap the hands
Explanation
To applaud is to show approval, encouragement, or appreciation. You can applaud by clapping your hands at a performance, or you can applaud with just your mouth, as when you tell someone "I applaud your decision to start exercising." The verb applaud goes back to the Latin verb applaudere, "to clap," and it came into English use in the 15th century. Part of the word applaud is laud, which means "praise," and laud is close in spelling to loud. When you applaud, you give loud praise by clapping you hands together. If you really like what someone is doing and want to pat them on the back for it or show encouragement, you might just say "I applaud your efforts."
Vocabulary lists containing applaud
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act V
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"Casey at the Bat"
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Unit 3, Week 1
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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:
“I applaud this administration,” he said, “provided these measures are implemented responsibly, in good faith, and free of conflicts of interest, corruption, and ulterior motives.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Sanchez echoed Macron's comments, saying if the UK asks to rejoin "then of course Spain would applaud it and open its arms again to a brotherly people".
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Smith was visibly excited as she accepted her award on stage, while also encouraging the audience to applaud the other nominees and winners.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
“Let the pregnant women live a little more. We need to just applaud them, praise them and give them a little more respect.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Many seem genuinely surprised that black people in the audience applaud these messages; for them, it is apparently news that black people think men should be good fathers and help to support their families.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Certified financial planner Cary Carbonaro applauds Mitchum for taking time to evaluate her whole financial picture and not rushing to make changes in the wake of her divorce.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026
When I arrive at Sudan’s new place for this interview and photo shoot, having heard the vision months earlier while sitting in her old house after a party, my heart applauds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2025
Most researchers in the green electronics field are searching for alternatives to the rare and expensive materials used in electronic circuitry, so Santato applauds Nair and the team for targeting the underlying circuit board instead.
From Science Magazine ● Nov. 24, 2024
Another viral tweet defending Roan stated, "Chappell Roan is entering the industry with a sense of self-worth that everybody applauds in other women as long as they endure mistreatment for a decade before developing it."
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2024
The boy next to me applauds, and that makes a few other kids clap.
From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle
Other survivors of child marriage also applauded the new law.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
A smaller number of comments applauded the administration’s plan saying that it would “strengthen kindergarten readiness.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
Shonda Rhimes, Viola Davis and Gabrielle Union all applauded Cassius in the comments, calling him an incredible young man.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Many in the audience laughed and applauded, when they should have gasped or moaned.
From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2026
When she finished, the boy and Maya-Jade applauded.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
At the moment of totality, people began applauding.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
She emerged from the weekend with half the media world and a chorus of Hollywood celebrities wildly applauding her bravery.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
Footage of the operation’s aftermath showed dozens of troops applauding an exhausted-looking Drapatiy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
In front of an applauding crowd, Starmer said "my work is done" and wished Burnham well.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
People started applauding before Mr. Tushman’s words actually registered in my brain.
From "Wonder" by R. J. Palacio
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.
