extol
Americanverb (used with object)
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extols,
present (3rd person singular)
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extolled,
past participle, past
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extolling
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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extollernoun
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extollmentnoun
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extolmentnoun
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superextolverb (used with object)
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superextollverb (used with object)
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extollinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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extolsimple
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extolssimple
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have extolledperfect
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has extolledperfect
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am extollingprogressive
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are extollingprogressive
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is extollingprogressive
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have been extollingperfect progressive
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has been extollingperfect progressive
Past
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extolledsimple
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had extolledperfect
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was extollingprogressive
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were extollingprogressive
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had been extollingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of extol
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English extollen, from Latin extollere “to lift up, raise,” equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + tollere “to lift, raise up”
Explanation
If you have a crush on a guy who likes your best friend, it can be very depressing to listen to him extol your friend's virtues, while you just nod and smile. If you extol something, you praise it very highly. The Bible says: "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven..." Nebuchadnezzar II was king of the second Babylonian Empire, the one who sent the Jews into exile. In some translations of the Bible, the word honor is replaced with glorify. Praise, extol, honor, glorify all mean about the same. The use of multiple synonymous words in a given sentence is a frequent motif in the Bible.
Vocabulary lists containing extol
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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.
See Examples For:
Also, I am afraid your columns do not sufficiently extol the value of work, which Voltaire rightly claimed protects us from the evils of boredom, vice, and poverty.
From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026
That’s because after DJ Khaled and Kenan Thompson extol the virtues of this miracle drug, a voiceover recounts a litany of potential side effects—vomiting, diarrhea, kidney problems, things of that nature.
From Slate ● Feb. 8, 2026
Now, listening to her extol the benefits, cold plunging seemed like something to consider, or at least contend with.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025
Executives at Netflix, long on the leading edge of providing niche offerings to fit every consumer’s taste, now extol the virtues of the mass audience viewing experience now that it carries NFL games.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2025
I could extol your virtues endlessly, but I want you to finish reading and answer me quickly.
From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
García Harfuch regularly extols his relationship with the armed forces, despite rumors of resentment against his sweeping powers and his closeness to Sheinbaum.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 29, 2025
Also, “we wait to hear what if any views she extols on BOJ policy,” the head of FX Strategy adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025
Barrett extols a judge’s obligation to “resolve disputes according to the ground rules that the people have prescribed,” but that responsibility is meaningless in the absence of reliable evidence.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2025
Anima extols all of the hidden depth and pain beneath the pop, but it’s impossible to tell what Tesfaye and Shults are trying to get at here.
From Salon ● May 19, 2025
It extols the abolition of racial discrimination and the achievement of equal rights for all.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
In four major speeches Douglass extolled the Mayflower, joining antislavery figures who looked back to the Plymouth settlers—who established government by consent and initially did not legalize slavery—as an ur-source of abolitionism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Flynn canceled his flight to Mexico and extolled the justice system that he had been ready to cheat as a fugitive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
I have extolled the virtues of both of these lessons in my columns over the years.
From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026
In that same evening address, President Trump extolled the US's oil producing capabilities.
From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2026
They saw the Pullman Company’s “Ideal of Industry” exhibit, with its detailed model of Pullman’s company town, which the company extolled as a workers’ paradise.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Last week, Ellison attempted a high-profile reputation reboot, extolling his love for movies and blaming politics for opposition to the deal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
I had spent the past couple of weeks corresponding with Raw Farm founder Mark McAfee, who’d filled my inbox with messages and PowerPoints extolling the virtues of his most important, and controversial, product:
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
The president is extolling the virtues of the East Wing ballroom.
From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026
Saylor has been anxious to promote the preferred stock, extolling its high-yield/ low volatility returns.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 16, 2026
Swoony, respectful, smart, kind, passionate...It was still extolling Sahil’s many, many virtues when he said, “Thanks.”
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
