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
Malinin was magnanimous afterward, hugging and congratulating surprise gold medalist Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan.
—
Dave Skretta, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Then Reddick drove over to Victory Lane, where a teary Michael Jordan was waiting to bear hug him, and where owner Denny Hamlin and teammates Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst were waiting to congratulate him.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 16 Feb. 2026
While Sweetpea and Ed Burgess were busy congratulating themselves for securing Tony Day’s damning eyewitness account of Tender’s fraudulence, Whitney threatened his man in Africa back into the fold.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Malinin congratulated his Kazakhstani competitor after the event concluded.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for congratulate
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Dave Skretta, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Then Reddick drove over to Victory Lane, where a teary Michael Jordan was waiting to bear hug him, and where owner Denny Hamlin and teammates Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst were waiting to congratulate him.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 16 Feb. 2026
While Sweetpea and Ed Burgess were busy congratulating themselves for securing Tony Day’s damning eyewitness account of Tender’s fraudulence, Whitney threatened his man in Africa back into the fold.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Malinin congratulated his Kazakhstani competitor after the event concluded.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for congratulate
Cite this Entry
“Congratulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/congratulate. Accessed 17 Feb. 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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