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 brothers also received a letter of congratulations from the Prince of Wales, who wrote that he was "incredibly impressed with your inspiring journey and ambitious challenge to undertake 32 consecutive marathons across Ireland".
From BBC • May 28, 2026
“Thank you, and congratulations to Microsoft!” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
Gamble’s husband, Larry Fletcher, boasted of his wife’s legal victory to a slightly uncomfortable-looking young waitress, who expressed her congratulations in an uncertain voice.
From Slate • May 4, 2026
“Whittier was put on the national radar due to our community and our hard work,” she said, noting that Kamala Harris had called with congratulations.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Lawrence tendered his congratulations to Fermi via Segre, who was now in residence at the Rad Lab and who observed that despite Ernest’s graciousness, he was “clearly disappointed.”
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
