What does praiseworthy mean?
Praiseworthy is an adjective meaning deserving of praise, commendation, or admiration. It is used to characterize actions, decisions, efforts, attitudes, and qualities that have earned a particularly favorable judgment from others. Typical examples include a praiseworthy act of courage, a praiseworthy contribution to a community, and a praiseworthy commitment to fairness. The word carries a positive, approving connotation and is often more emphatic than simply describing something as good, because it indicates that the subject merits explicit commendation. It can be used in formal writing, public statements, education, and ordinary conversation, though it sounds somewhat more deliberate than "good" or "commendable" in casual speech. Although praiseworthy and commendable are close in meaning, praiseworthy tends to suggest that the subject is an outstanding example of conduct or achievement deserving recognition.
adjectiveDeserving of praise or commendation; commendable. It describes actions, efforts, qualities, or decisions that merit approval and admiration.
- Deserving of praise, commendation, or admiration.
"The volunteers made a praiseworthy effort to reach every family affected by the storm."
"The firefighter's calm and effective rescue of the child was highly praiseworthy."
"The committee issued a report praising the team's praiseworthy commitment to public service."
Praiseworthy names the quality that earns approval: the action is not merely good, but deserving of explicit commendation.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does praiseworthy come from?
Praiseworthy is an English compound formed from "praise" and "worthy." "Praise" entered Middle English through Old French preisier, from Latin pretiare, related to pretium, meaning "value" or "price," while "worthy" derives from Old English weorþig, meaning "having worth." Its etymological relatives include appraise, appreciate, and appreciative, which share the Latin root associated with value and estimation.
Related word forms
How praiseworthy is actually used
Praiseworthy is a positive adjective used in formal, semi-formal, and general contexts. It commonly appears before a noun, such as "a praiseworthy effort," or after a linking verb, as in "the decision was praiseworthy." The word conveys strong approval without necessarily implying perfection.
Easily confused with praiseworthy
Praiseworthy is an alternate spelling of praiseworthy; despite the different arrangement of the letters, both forms have the same meaning.