Extolling Excellence: The Power of Enthusiastic Praise
Explore the meaning, history, and proper use of the verb ‘extol’ – a powerful way to express high praise and admiration. Learn how to incorporate this word into your vocabulary to convey your enthusiasm and appreciation for people, ideas, or achievements that truly impress you.
Words have the power to shape our thoughts, influence our emotions, and convey complex ideas. Today, we’re focusing on a word that’s particularly useful when you want to express high praise or admiration: extol.
Word type: Extol is a verb. It’s an action word used to describe the act of praising something or someone enthusiastically.
Meaning: To extol means to praise enthusiastically and highly. When you extol something or someone, you’re not just giving a casual compliment.
You’re offering lavish praise, speaking about the subject with great enthusiasm and admiration.
Word history:
The word extol has an interesting history. It comes from the Latin word extollere, which is a combination of ex meaning out or upward, and tollere meaning to raise.
So, etymologically, extol means to raise up with praise.
Antonyms: The opposite of extol would be to criticize, condemn, or disparage.
While extol is about raising something up with praise, these antonyms are about putting something down with negative comments.
Synonyms: Some words that mean nearly the same thing as extol include praise, laud, acclaim, commend, and glorify.
Each of these words involves speaking highly of someone or something, though extol often implies a more enthusiastic or elaborate form of praise.
Examples use in sentences: Here are a few ways you might use extol in a sentence: The food critic extolled the chef’s innovative use of local ingredients in her review.
During the ceremony, the speaker extolled the virtues of hard work and perseverance. The company’s annual report extolled the benefits of their new environmentally friendly practices.
Common errors in use: One common mistake when using extol is confusing it with extort. While they sound similar, extort means to obtain something through force or threats, which is very different from extol.
Another error is using extol without an object. Remember, you always extol something or someone. You can’t just extol on its own.
To wrap up, extol is a powerful verb that allows you to express deep admiration or high praise. Whether you’re writing a formal review, giving a speech, or simply expressing your appreciation for something, extol can add a touch of eloquence to your language.
By incorporating this word into your vocabulary, you can more precisely and emphatically express your admiration for people, ideas, or things that truly impress you.
