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Synonyms

congratulations

British  
/ kənˌɡrætjʊˈleɪʃənz /

plural noun

  1. expressions of pleasure or joy; felicitations

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing congratulations

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 Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!” he wrote.

From Salon • Jun. 14, 2026

Afterwards, Florence said he told her: "Congratulations, you will be one of our new Sport girls and you're going to get lots of work."

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

"Splashdown confirmed! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on the twelfth flight test of Starship!" the company wrote on X.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

Congratulations are in order for the law enforcement and intelligence agencies that cooperated on Mr. Al-Saadi’s tracking and capture.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Starbucks Cherry, text: Congratulations, you've won our deal of the week.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin

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