congratulate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
congratulates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
congratulated,
past participle, past
-
congratulating
present participle
-
to express pleasure to (a person), as on a happy occasion.
They congratulated him on his marriage.
-
Archaic. to express sympathetic joy or satisfaction at (an event).
-
Obsolete. to salute.
verb
-
(usually foll by on) to communicate pleasure, approval, or praise to (a person or persons); compliment
-
(often foll by on) to consider (oneself) clever or fortunate (as a result of)
she congratulated herself on her tact
-
obsolete to greet
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
congratulationnoun
-
congratulatornoun
-
precongratulateverb (used with object)
-
congratulatoryadjective
-
uncongratulatedadjective
-
uncongratulatingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
congratulatesimple
-
congratulatessimple
-
have congratulatedperfect
-
has congratulatedperfect
-
am congratulatingprogressive
-
are congratulatingprogressive
-
is congratulatingprogressive
-
have been congratulatingperfect progressive
-
has been congratulatingperfect progressive
Past
-
congratulatedsimple
-
had congratulatedperfect
-
was congratulatingprogressive
-
were congratulatingprogressive
-
had been congratulatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of congratulate
1540–50; < Latin congrātulātus, past participle of congrātulārī. See congratulant, -ate 1
Explanation
When you congratulate someone, you give that person praise — or maybe even a party to congratulate him or her on a job well done. The word congratulate is linked to the Latin word congratulari, meaning “wish joy.” When you congratulate someone, you wish him or her joy, usually to celebrate an accomplishment or good fortune. Your joy can take the form of verbal praise (“Well done!”), a letter or card offering good wishes, a rowdy high five, or even a big chocolate cake. You can also congratulate yourself for reaching a long-time goal.
Vocabulary lists containing congratulate
"Raymond's Run"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long," Vocabulary from the poem
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Week 1: Cultural Exchange
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
In 2013, Epstein received an automated note from LinkedIn that he should congratulate Clark for her new role as CEO of Female Algorithm Technologies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
"I want to congratulate my good friend Bob Iger and Josh Kushner on their purchase of the Los Angeles Lakers!"
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
The former captain, who sprinted on to the field to congratulate her players during the timeout after Ecclestone's first catch, has calmly quietened talk of the issue.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
I’d like to congratulate Mel Brooks on making it to the age of 100, but I’m not sure I want to duplicate his achievement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
“Now, there are a lot of excited families here, eager to congratulate you. I suggest you get out there!”
From "George" by Alex Gino
That he, upon getting punched in the crotch by Johnny Cage, congratulates the latter on having stellar technique makes about as much sense as anything else on offer here.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
"Spain congratulates the new president of Honduras and expresses its full willingness to continue working with the people and government of Honduras," the Spanish foreign ministry said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Dec. 25, 2025
A nurse congratulates the family and hands over an administrative packet.
From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2025
Watch as King Felipe VI of Spain congratulates the national team after their 2-1 win over England in the Euro 2024 final.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2024
He congratulates all the candidates on our excellent speeches and wishes us all luck.
From "The Misfits" by James Howe
Bangladesh's prime minister Tarique Rahman congratulated the team on a video call with the players.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
When he called to object, he said, agents congratulated him on his upgrade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Activist investor Elliott Management in a statement congratulated Kruger on his coming move and said it was confident Zebedee was the right successor, bringing with him continuity and momentum.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Kaye congratulated the client and a wave of applause filled the courtroom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
“But all in all you’re to be congratulated, Alex. You not only lived up to our expectations. You way exceeded them.”
From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz
"He messaged me the day before the Test, touching on The Hundred and congratulating me on that, and saying good luck for the first Test," said Tongue.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
"The tide is turning," Sanders posted on X, congratulating Kiros for her "extraordinary victory" over a 30-year incumbent.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
On Monday, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he'd had "warm telephone conversations" with Balen and Lamichhane, congratulating them on the party's "resounding success".
From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2026
In a message congratulating Mojtaba on his appointment Sunday, Hassan Khomeini—the grandson of the Islamic Republic’s founding ayatollah—offered “condolences on the martyrdom of your beloved father, who was a model of jihad and martyrdom.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 9, 2026
Throughout the night, guests keep coming up to me and congratulating me and handing me their business cards.
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
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.
