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.
Congratulations, JJ, you will have earned the reputation as a coach who can take on the toughest cases and win them.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
Congratulations to everyone who has waited in a long airport security line over the past week: You’ve finally gotten Congress’ attention.
From Slate • Mar. 24, 2026
Congratulations are in order for Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum too.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026
The town's Silk Museum, which houses a collection celebrating 150 years of football in Macclesfield, said: "Congratulations Macclesfield FC for your historic win!"
From BBC • Jan. 10, 2026
The room remained silent, and Mr. Quisling said,“Mr. Lee, your cipher has survived the week. Congratulations on winning your first homework pass.”
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
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.
