eulogy

American  

[yoo-luh-jee] / ˈju lə dʒi /

noun

• eulogies
  plural

1. a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially a set oration in honor of a deceased person.

2. high praise or commendation.

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eulogy British  

/ ˈjuːlədʒɪ /

noun

1. a formal speech or piece of writing praising a person or thing, esp a person who has recently died

2. high praise or commendation

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eulogy Cultural  

1. Words of praise, often for a dead person, but also a staple in introducing speakers, in nominating candidates, and on other such occasions. (Compare elegy.)

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Commonly Confused

See elegy

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• eulogies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of eulogy

First recorded in 1585–95; from Late Latin eulogia eulogia and Medieval Latin eulogium eulogium

Compare meaning

How does eulogy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• elegy vs. eulogy

Explanation

At every funeral, there comes a moment when someone speaks about the life of the person who died. The speaker is delivering what is known as a eulogy. A eulogy is a formal speech that praises a person who has died. Usually a eulogy makes the dead person sound a lot more impressive than they really were. A couple of less common synonyms for this kind of "praise the dead" speech are panegyric and encomium. Sometimes the dead person was so unimpressive that there's nothing nice to say. And sometimes they were so awful that the only appropriate speech is a dyslogy that describes their faults and failings.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

eulogy eulogies

A memory of, as she said in her eulogy, a "gentle giant with a heart of gold" who "wore his uniform with pride" and "treasured family above all else".

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

And in the impromptu eulogy of her deceased husband, Erika convicted me, though I’m sure she didn’t know it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

Members of the Republican Guard carried the casket draped in a French flag into the courtyard to the beat of a drum before Macron read a eulogy, saying Jospin fought for justice and freedom.

From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026

And when the next bombshell research report drops, ask yourself: Do I own the companies in the obituary section or the companies writing the eulogy?

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 19, 2026

Another time, in a misprint he hadn’t caught, Roberto’s article had stated that Senator Smathers had delivered an elegy, instead of a eulogy, of Trujillo before the joint members of the United States Congress.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Given all that, I was somewhat surprised to see heartfelt eulogies for the mail-order racket when Columbia House announced it was ceasing operations later this year.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

The eulogies for this Knicks team—for Wednesday’s Game 4, and, possibly, the entire series—were well under way.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

Nearby to the training booths, other stations offered tea, psychological counselling services and medical support, while loudspeakers broadcast speeches, chants, and eulogies for slain military commanders.

From Barron's ● May 19, 2026

Hull’s homage to Spirit was seen by more than 1 million people on the Points Guy’s Instagram account — and hundreds of commenters shared their own impromptu eulogies.

From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026

Commander Lewis and the surviving crew, via long-range communication from Hermes, gave eulogies for their departed comrade from deep space.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Related Words

• citation
• paean
• tribute