congratulate
verb
con·grat·u·late kən-ˈgra-chə-ˌlāt 
-ˈgra-jə-
congratulated; congratulating
1
: to express vicarious pleasure to (a person) on the occasion of success or good fortune
graciously congratulated the winner
also : to feel pleased with
congratulating herself for a job well done
2
archaic : to express sympathetic pleasure at (an event)
Examples of congratulate in a Sentence
I'd like to congratulate you on your success. She congratulated us on our test results. She congratulated herself for getting the best grade in her class.
Recent Examples on the Web
After Biles qualified for her third Olympic Games, Owens congratulated his wife with a kiss while holding a cutout of her face. —
Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026 Lush’s other co-founder, Mark Constantine, reviewed these lackluster bars and congratulated the pair on inventing something new(ish… solid was historically the norm in body and hair care up until plastic bottles took over). —Kara McGrath, Allure, 22 Apr. 2026 The festivities include a Buckingham Palace reception where Charles will congratulate centenarians who share the late monarch's birthday, and the dedication of a memorial garden at Regent's Park in central London. —ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026 The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Monday congratulated Radev on his election victory. —Veselin Toshkov, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for congratulate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026 Lush’s other co-founder, Mark Constantine, reviewed these lackluster bars and congratulated the pair on inventing something new(ish… solid was historically the norm in body and hair care up until plastic bottles took over). —Kara McGrath, Allure, 22 Apr. 2026 The festivities include a Buckingham Palace reception where Charles will congratulate centenarians who share the late monarch's birthday, and the dedication of a memorial garden at Regent's Park in central London. —ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026 The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Monday congratulated Radev on his election victory. —Veselin Toshkov, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for congratulate
Cite this Entry
“Congratulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/congratulate. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
congratulate
verb
con·grat·u·late kən-ˈgrach-ə-ˌlāt
congratulated; congratulating
: to express pleasure to on account of success or good fortune
congratulate the winner
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