applaud
Americanverb (used without object)
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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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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
- applauder noun
- applauding adjective
- applaudingly adverb
- overapplaud verb
- reapplaud verb
- self-applauding adjective
- unapplauded adjective
- unapplauding adjective
- well-applauded adjective
Etymology
Origin of applaud
1530–40; < Latin applaudere, equivalent to ap- ap- 1 + plaudere to clap the hands
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.
The audience and council members rose and applauded.
American applauded the decision on Friday, saying in a statement that the FAA can now “achieve an improved customer experience for passengers.”
But instead of being applauded for my effort, I was roundly shamed by my friends.
I applauded her bravery, but the conversation had mostly slipped my mind.
From Los Angeles Times
Juve were applauded off by their supporters after a display which will boost them in their bid to qualify for next season's edition of the Champions League.
From Barron's
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.
