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

And that means us, the audience members at Peter Charney and Brendan George’s “A Eulogy for Roman,” a modest but sneakily affecting show that just opened at 59E59 Theaters.

From New York Times • Aug. 14, 2023

And the bar will be mixing up Halloween specials, including a neon green drink called The Eulogy, made with Midori, mezcal, green chartreuse, lime juice and Sichuan peppercorn tincture.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 21, 2021

But not always; the "Better Things" episode "Eulogy" shows how such exercises can be incredibly loving and genuine.

From Salon • Aug. 19, 2021

Jonathan Chait, a former TNR writer now at New York Magazine, quickly posted “A Eulogy for the New Republic.”

From Slate • Dec. 5, 2014

Eulogy of the learned among the people of Bahá 19.

From The Kitáb-i-Aqdas by Bahá'u'lláh

Related Words

• citation
• paean
• tribute