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.
In a pre-recorded video, the King was seen writing his letter to Sir David, which said he and the Queen sent their "warmest congratulations on such a special occasion".
From BBC • May 8, 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
If the goal was to make Jackson’s proclivities look normal and wholesome, congratulations, “Michael” is a spectacular failure.
From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026
Americans didn’t actually land on the moon last week, despite some congratulations to the contrary, and Artemis II didn’t quite captivate the full attention of a country distracted by global strife and gas pumps.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
That June Danny and I were among the seventy-eight students who were graduated from Hirsch College, to the accompaniment of numerous speeches, applause, honorary degrees, and family congratulations.
From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
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.
