What does eulogizing mean?
Eulogizing is the act of praising a person or thing in glowing, formal terms, and it is most closely associated with the tribute delivered at a funeral or memorial service. The verb comes from Greek roots meaning 'good word': a eulogy is, quite literally, an outpouring of good words about someone. While its dominant use remains commemorative — friends and family eulogizing the deceased by recalling their character and achievements — the word also appears more broadly for enthusiastic public praise, and it can carry a faintly critical edge when the admiration seems excessive or unearned. Eulogizing is a formal, elevated term: one extols or commemorates rather than merely compliments. Writers choose it when they want to signal ceremony, reverence, or rhetorical flourish, making it a precise and evocative alternative to plainer words like praising.
verbTo praise someone or something highly, especially in a formal speech or written tribute; the present participle of 'eulogize', most often referring to delivering or composing a eulogy for the dead.
- To praise someone or something highly in speech or writing, especially in a formal tribute to a person who has died.
- (Less common, sometimes mildly ironic) To speak of someone or something in extravagantly glowing terms.
"The retired professor spent her final years eulogizing the poets she had once taught alongside."
"Friends and colleagues took turns eulogizing the founder at the memorial service."
"The critics were accused of eulogizing a novel that hardly deserved such extravagant praise."
Every time you eulogize, you're speaking Greek — literally: 'eu' means good and 'logos' means word, so a eulogy is quite simply 'good words'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eulogizing
Eulogizing derives from 'eulogize', formed in the early 17th century from Greek roots: 'eu-' meaning 'good' and '-logia' from 'logos', meaning 'word' or 'speech'. The underlying Greek noun 'eulogia' originally denoted praise or blessing, and English adopted 'eulogy' before back-forming or directly adopting the verb 'eulogize'. The same 'eu-' prefix appears across a family of English words borrowed from Greek, including 'euphoria', 'euphemism', and 'euphonious', all conveying something positive or pleasant.
Related word forms
How eulogizing is actually used
The word carries a formal register and is strongly associated with funerals and memorial services, though it can be used figuratively for any effusive praise — sometimes with a hint that the praise is excessive. In British English the spelling 'eulogising' is also common.
Easily confused with eulogizing
Apologizing means expressing regret for a wrongdoing, while eulogizing means praising someone formally — the two share a similar rhythm and ending but are unrelated in meaning.