acclaim

1 of 2

verb

ac·​claim ə-ˈklām 

acclaimed; acclaiming; acclaims

transitive verb

1

: applaud, praise

Critics acclaimed her performance.

2

: to declare by acclamation

was acclaimed president of the society

intransitive verb

: to shout praise or applause

acclaimer noun

acclaim

2 of 2

noun

1

: the act of acclaiming

2

: praise, applause

She deserves acclaim for all her charitable works.

Synonyms

Verb

• accredit
• applaud
• cheer
• crack up
• hail
• laud
• praise
• salute
• tout

Noun

• accolade
• applause
• bay(s)
• credit
• distinction
• glory
• homage
• honor
• kudos
• laud
• laurels
• props [slang]
• réclame
• sun

Examples of acclaim in a Sentence

Verb

The critics have acclaimed her performance.

she has long been acclaimed by the critics for her realistic acting

Noun

Her performance in the ballet earned her critical acclaim.

She deserves acclaim for all her charitable works.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

She's had some movies that weren't exactly critically acclaimed. —David Chiu, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

While his songwriting has earned him recognition in the industry, Davis is also acclaimed for his dynamic stage presence. —Noel Burgess, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Noun

Her first publication was a chapbook of poems, 1983’s The Women Who Hate Me. 1988’s Trash, a book of essays, brought her critical acclaim. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024

But its critical acclaim was capped due to the music industry’s rigid conceptions of race and genre. —Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed (with assimilation to claim entry 1) from Middle French & Latin; Middle French acclamer, borrowed from Latin acclāmāre "to shout (at or in reaction to), raise an outcry, shout approval," from ad- ad- + clāmāre "to shout" — more at claim entry 1

Noun

derivative of acclaim entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1626, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

acclaim

1 of 2 verb

ac·​claim ə-ˈklām 

1

: to welcome with applause or great praise

a novel acclaimed by the critics

2

: to proclaim by or as if by acclamation

acclaimer noun

acclaim

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act of acclaiming

2

: applause, praise

Etymology

Verb

from Latin acclamare, literally "to shout at," from ac-, ad- "to, toward" and clamare "to shout" — related to claim, clamor