What does extol mean?
Extol is a verb meaning to praise someone or something enthusiastically and often at length. To extol a person, work, or idea is to celebrate it in admiring terms — the critic extols a film, the orator extols a hero's courage, the brochure extols the virtues of a product. The word carries a formal, elevated tone that sets it apart from everyday words like "praise" or "compliment," making it a fixture of reviews, speeches, obituaries, and ceremonial prose. It derives from the Latin extollere, formed from ex- ('up') and tollere ('to lift'), and so literally means to raise something high — an apt image for language that lifts its subject up for admiration. Related English words from the same Latin root include "tolerate" and "toll." Because it implies sustained, fervent praise rather than casual approval, extol is useful whenever a writer wants to convey genuine, wholehearted admiration with a single elegant word.
verbTo praise someone or something enthusiastically and at length; to lift up with words of admiration.
- To praise someone or something enthusiastically, often publicly or at length.
"Critics extolled the novel as a masterpiece of modern fiction."
"The ceremony extolled the volunteers' decades of quiet service to the community."
"In her acceptance speech, she extolled the virtues of teamwork and perseverance."
Extol literally means to 'lift up' — the same Latin root that gave us 'tolerate' once meant to raise high, so when you extol something, you're raising it aloft with words alone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of extol
Extol comes from the Latin verb extollere, meaning "to lift up, raise high," formed from the prefix ex- ("up") combined with tollere ("to lift, raise"). It entered English in the early 16th century, initially carrying the literal sense of elevating physically before settling into its now-dominant figurative sense of raising someone up with praise. The same Latin root tollere also gave English "tolerate" and contributed to "toll," making these distant cousins of extol.
Related word forms
How extol is actually used
"Extol" is formal and elevated in register, common in journalism, reviews, speeches, and ceremonial writing. It frequently appears in the fixed phrase "extol the virtues of." The spelling "extoll" (with double l) appears in British usage for inflected forms such as "extolled" and "extolling," though "extol" remains the standard base form in both varieties.
Easily confused with extol
"Exalt" means to raise in rank, power, or dignity (or to glorify), while "extol" means simply to praise highly in words.