What does belaud mean?
To belaud is to praise someone or something lavishly and often publicly — to extol in glowing terms. The verb is formed from the intensive prefix 'be-' attached to 'laud', itself derived from the Latin 'laudare', meaning to praise. Belaud belongs to a formal, literary register of English; while perfectly well attested, it is now relatively uncommon and tends to surface in elevated or deliberately old-fashioned prose, where it can lend a note of ceremony to tributes, reviews, and eulogies. Because the prefix intensifies the base verb, belaud implies more than ordinary approval: it suggests effusive, even extravagant commendation. Readers will most often encounter it in historical writing or criticism describing the reception of artists, works, or public figures. Related forms include the plain verb 'laud' and the adjectives 'laudable' and 'laudatory', all drawing on the same Latin root, which also gives English the words 'laudanum' and 'prelate'. For writers seeking a dignified alternative to 'praise highly', belaud remains a serviceable choice.
verbTo praise someone or something highly and often publicly; to extol.
- To praise highly; to celebrate with extravagant or effusive praise.
"The critics belauded the young novelist as the finest voice of her generation."
"The retiring professor was belauded by colleagues and students alike at her farewell ceremony."
"Victorian reviewers belauded the painting in terms that would strike modern readers as extravagant."
Belaud is what you do when 'praise' just isn't enthusiastic enough — a word so devoted to flattery that its cousin 'belabor' does the exact opposite job.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of belaud
Belaud derives from the Latin verb 'laudare', meaning to praise, which entered English both directly as 'laud' via Old French 'lauder' and through ecclesiastical Latin. The prefix 'be-' was added in English to create an intensified form, a productive pattern seen in verbs like 'bedew' and 'besmirch'. The same Latin root yields 'laudable', 'laudatory', and 'prelate', the latter from 'praelaudere', literally 'to praise before'. Belaud has been part of English since at least the early modern period, though it has always remained a literary rather than colloquial word.
How belaud is actually used
Belaud is formal and distinctly literary, now somewhat rare or archaic in everyday usage. It carries a connotation of generous, sometimes fulsome praise, and can occasionally suggest overstatement. It appears mainly in elevated prose rather than speech.
Easily confused with belaud
Laud means simply to praise, while belaud intensifies it, implying lavish or excessive praise.
Belabor means to attack or discuss at tedious length, whereas belaud means to praise highly — near-identical spelling, opposite senses.