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congratulate

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To congratulate is to praise or compliment someone or to offer them good wishes when something good happens.

(verb)

When you say "Great job, good for you!" to someone who is graduating, this is an example of a situation where you congratulate the graduate.

See congratulate in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb congratulated, congratulating

to express to (a person) one's pleasure at good fortune or success; felicitate: congratulate the winner
Obsolete to rejoice at; celebrate
Obsolete to greet; hail

Origin: < L congratulatus, pp. of congratulari < com,- together + gratulari, to wish joy < gratus, agreeable: see grace

Related Forms:

congratulator noun
congratulatory adjective

See congratulate in American Heritage Dictionary 4

transitive verb con·grat·u·lat·ed, con·grat·u·lat·ing, con·grat·u·lates

To express joy or acknowledgment, as for the achievement or good fortune of (another).

Origin:

Origin: Latin congrātulārī, congrātulāt-

Origin: : com-, com-

Origin: + grātulārī, to rejoice (from grātus, pleasing; see g^werə-² in Indo-European roots)

Related Forms:

con·gratˈu·laˌtor noun

con·gratˈu·la·toˌry (-lə-tôrˌē, -tōrˌē) adjective

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