applaud
Americanverb (used without object)
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applauds,
present (3rd person singular)
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applauded,
past participle, past
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applauding
present participle
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to clap the hands as an expression of approval, appreciation, acclamation, etc..
They applauded wildly at the end of the opera.
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to express approval; give praise; acclaim.
verb (used with object)
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applauds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
applauded,
past participle, past
-
applauding
present participle
-
to clap the hands so as to show approval, appreciation, etc., of.
to applaud an actor; to applaud a speech.
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to praise or express approval of.
to applaud a person's ambition.
verb
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to indicate approval of (a person, performance, etc) by clapping the hands
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(usually tr) to offer or express approval or praise of (an action, person, or thing)
I applaud your decision
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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applaudernoun
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overapplaudverb
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reapplaudverb
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applaudingadjective
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self-applaudingadjective
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unapplaudedadjective
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unapplaudingadjective
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well-applaudedadjective
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applaudinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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applaudsimple
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applaudssimple
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have applaudedperfect
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has applaudedperfect
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am applaudingprogressive
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are applaudingprogressive
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is applaudingprogressive
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have been applaudingperfect progressive
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has been applaudingperfect progressive
Past
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applaudedsimple
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had applaudedperfect
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was applaudingprogressive
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were applaudingprogressive
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had been applaudingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of applaud
1530–40; < Latin applaudere, equivalent to ap- ap- 1 + plaudere to clap the hands
Explanation
To applaud is to show approval, encouragement, or appreciation. You can applaud by clapping your hands at a performance, or you can applaud with just your mouth, as when you tell someone "I applaud your decision to start exercising." The verb applaud goes back to the Latin verb applaudere, "to clap," and it came into English use in the 15th century. Part of the word applaud is laud, which means "praise," and laud is close in spelling to loud. When you applaud, you give loud praise by clapping you hands together. If you really like what someone is doing and want to pat them on the back for it or show encouragement, you might just say "I applaud your efforts."
Vocabulary lists containing applaud
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act V
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"Casey at the Bat"
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Unit 3, Week 1
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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:
“Every now and then,” Cardinals scouting director Randy Flores said, “you just pause and applaud the history of the moment.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Toward the end of the performance Raul stood and gestured to the crowd that they should stand and applaud.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
New graduates lament that while their college professors discouraged the use of AI tools, hiring managers applaud it.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
“However, as a proponent of innovation and recognizing that the industry at large has fallen behind the times in so many respects, I applaud the innovation of Churchill Downs Inc. and NYRA.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
There is silence until Mr. Daniels motions to everyone to applaud.
From "Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
A fiction writer herself, she applauds Austen’s minimalism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
When I arrive at Sudan’s new place for this interview and photo shoot, having heard the vision months earlier while sitting in her old house after a party, my heart applauds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2025
Most researchers in the green electronics field are searching for alternatives to the rare and expensive materials used in electronic circuitry, so Santato applauds Nair and the team for targeting the underlying circuit board instead.
From Science Magazine ● Nov. 24, 2024
The idea is something Libby Christensen, a state food and agriculture specialist at Colorado State University Extension, applauds.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2024
The crowd whistles and applauds, but after that the clown keeps his distance.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
When he was sent out for his first warm-up during the game, he applauded the positive reception he got from United supporters in the corner he was running towards.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
He denied his absence was political, though some Dodgers fans applauded the decision anyway.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Previously, McOsker had applauded Fred Brown for its work on recovery group homes elsewhere in San Pedro.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Barajas spat, looking back at Lopez as spectators applauded.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Miss Forcible curtsied, and all the dogs applauded again.
From "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman
At the moment of totality, people began applauding.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
She emerged from the weekend with half the media world and a chorus of Hollywood celebrities wildly applauding her bravery.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
A beaming Gaud raised the ball to an applauding Lord's pavilion as she led India off the field having put her side in a commanding position for victory.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
The world is applauding the latest Chinese vehicles and sales are surging almost everywhere the cars are available.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
The audience was applauding the choir, which had just finished.
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
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.
