eulogy

American  

[yoo-luh-jee] / ˈyu lə dʒi /

noun

plural

eulogies

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

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

On the X account for Sora, the team posted what felt like a digital eulogy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 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

By contrast, “Project Hail Mary” really gets you early on when Grace delivers a eulogy for his fallen colleagues, neither of whom he remembers.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

The eulogy pronounced on the great zoölogist Agassiz was well deserved.

From New Word-Analysis by William Swinton

Related Words

• citation
• paean
• tribute