Word

congratulate

verb C1

/kənˈɡɹæt͡ʃ.ʊˌleɪt/

Meanings

verb

to tell someone you are happy and proud about their success, good news, or achievement

verb

to praise yourself for something you have done or for making a good decision

Definition

To congratulate someone is to tell them you are pleased about their success or good news.

To congratulate someone means to express praise, approval, or happiness for something they have achieved or experienced. It is commonly used after events like passing an exam, getting a new job, winning a prize, or getting married. You can congratulate a person directly or congratulate them on a specific achievement. The verb usually takes a person as the object, often followed by “on” plus the reason.

Examples

I wrote to congratulate her on finishing the marathon despite the heat.
They gathered after the presentation to congratulate him on the promotion.
Please congratulate your team on how calmly they handled the difficult questions.
She called her cousin to congratulate him on getting accepted into the program.

Common mistake

Learners often say “congratulate for” with a noun (e.g., “congratulate you for your success”); more natural is “congratulate you on your success.”