What does extolment mean?
"Extolment" is a formal English noun meaning enthusiastic, elaborate praise — the act of extolling someone or something rather than the praise itself as a product. It derives from the verb "extol," which traces back through Middle English to the Latin "extollere," meaning literally to lift up or raise on high, formed from "ex-" (up) and "tollere" (to lift). Because praise metaphorically raises its subject, the word's image of physical elevation survives in modern usage. In practice, "extolment" appears most often in elevated writing: reviews, ceremonial speeches, obituaries, and literary criticism, as in "an evening devoted to the extolment of the late composer." It can be entirely sincere, but like "eulogy" or "panegyric," it may carry a faint suggestion of excess — praise so abundant that it borders on flattery. Though understood throughout the English-speaking world, it remains uncommon in everyday speech, where simpler terms such as "praise" or "accolades" usually take its place. For writers seeking a precise, slightly stately term for the act of heaping praise upon a subject, "extolment" fills a genuine gap in the vocabulary.
nounThe act of praising someone or something enthusiastically and at length; elaborate or effusive praise.
- Enthusiastic or elaborate praise; the act of extolling someone or something.
"The retiring professor listened quietly to the extolment of her forty-year career."
"The ceremony was little more than an hour of mutual extolment among the award winners."
"Critics dismissed the biography as pure extolment, lacking any serious scrutiny of its subject."
Rarely pluralized; the uncountable sense dominates, referring to praise as an activity or abstract quality. A plural form occasionally appears when counting individual acts or expressions of praise.
"The volume collects the many extolments lavished on the poet during his lifetime."
We extol things all the time — yet almost nobody names the act itself, making "extolment" one of English's quietest nouns for a loud activity.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of extolment
"Extolment" is formed by adding the noun suffix "-ment" to the verb "extol," which entered English in the fifteenth century from Latin "extollere," meaning to lift up or raise aloft. The Latin word combines "ex-" (upward) with "tollere" (to lift), the same root that ultimately underlies "tolerate." The metaphor is straightforward: to praise someone highly is to lift them up. As a derived noun, "extolment" has been part of English since roughly the sixteenth century, though it has always remained far less frequent than the verb that spawned it.
Related word forms
How extolment is actually used
"Extolment" is formal and relatively rare; speakers and writers more often reach for "praise," "accolades," or "tribute." It carries a connotation of generous, sometimes fulsome praise, and can occasionally imply that the praise is excessive or uncritical.
Easily confused with extolment
"Exaltation" refers to raising someone in rank, status, or spirits, while "extolment" refers specifically to verbal praise.