congratulate Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb say something to someone that expresses praise
    compliment.
    • He complimented her on her last physics paper
  2. verb express congratulations
    felicitate.
  3. verb be proud of
    plume; pride.
    • He prides himself on making it into law school
  4. verb pride or congratulate (oneself) for an achievement
    preen.

WordNet


Con*grat"u*late transitive verb
Etymology
L. congratulatus, p.p. of congratulari to wish joy abundantly; con- + gratulari to wish joy, from gratus pleasing. See Grateful.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Congratulated; present participle & verbal noun Congratulating
Definitions
  1. To address with expressions of sympathetic pleasure on account of some happy event affecting the person addressed; to wish joy to.
    It is the king's most sweet pleasure and affection to congratulate the princess at her pavilion. Shak.
    Syn. -- To Congratulate, Felicitate. To felicitate is simply to wish a person joy. To congratulate has the additional signification of uniting in the joy of him whom we congratulate. Hence they are by no means synonymous. One who has lost the object of his affections by her marriage to a rival, might perhaps felicitate that rival on his success, but could never be expected to congratulate him on such an event.
    Felicitations are little better than compliments; congratulations are the expression of a genuine sympathy and joy. Trench.
Con*grat"u*late intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To express of feel sympathetic joy; as, to congratulate with one's country. R. Swift.
    The subjects of England may congratulate to themselves. Dryden.

Webster 1913