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

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Etymology

Origin of eulogy

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

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Compare meaning

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

• elegy vs. eulogy

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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

Edwin Austin, of the British military police, gives a brief but fitting eulogy: “Let the worm go to the worms.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

He also said his renowned funeral eulogy, in which he said his sister's qualities would never be "extinguished from our minds", was a "direct rebuttal" of the prince's comments.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

Yet the movie isn’t simply a eulogy, or an outpouring of sorrow.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

It’s been anything but in this “melting pot where nothing melted,” to quote the rabbi whose eulogy sets Kushner’s “Angels in America” in motion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

I don’t want to ask you any favors, but if you have time—and from what I saw, you have plenty—I was wondering if you could write a eulogy for Hazel.

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

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

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

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, too, warned against writing any eulogies: “The companies who are seizing the moment, I think have the same opportunity ahead,” he said on the company’s quarterly earnings call Wednesday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026

I was supposed to give one of the eulogies because everybody said Lynn loved me more than anything in the world.

From "Kira-Kira" by Cynthia Kadohata

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Related Words

• citation
• paean
• tribute

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