celebrate
to observe (a day) or commemorate (an event) with ceremonies or festivities: to celebrate Christmas; to celebrate the success of a new play.
to make known publicly; proclaim: The newspaper celebrated the end of the war in red headlines.
to praise widely or to present to widespread and favorable public notice, as through newspapers or novels: a novel celebrating the joys of marriage; the countryside celebrated in the novels of Hardy.
to perform with appropriate rites and ceremonies; solemnize: to celebrate a marriage.
to observe a day or commemorate an event with ceremonies or festivities.
to perform a religious ceremony, especially Mass or the Lord's Supper.
to have or participate in a party, drinking spree, or uninhibited good time: You look like you were up celebrating all night.
Origin of celebrate
1Other words for celebrate
Other words from celebrate
- cel·e·bra·tive, adjective
- cel·e·bra·tor, cel·e·brat·er, noun
- cel·e·bra·to·ry [sel-uh-bruh-tawr-ee], /ˈsɛl ə brəˌtɔr i/, adjective
- pre·cel·e·brate, verb, pre·cel·e·brat·ed, pre·cel·e·brat·ing.
- re·cel·e·brate, verb, re·cel·e·brat·ed, re·cel·e·brat·ing.
- un·cel·e·brat·ing, adjective
Words that may be confused with celebrate
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use celebrate in a sentence
Our October Insights puzzle celebrated the work of the legendary mathematician John Horton Conway by inviting you to play with two math questions related to his work and to explore an open-ended game similar to his famous Game of Life.
How to Solve Our Three John Conway-Inspired Puzzles | Pradeep Mutalik | November 20, 2020 | Quanta MagazineHealth experts recommend celebrating with immediate members of your household and holding virtual holiday celebrations with people who live elsewhere.
Maryland’s coronavirus numbers are going up. Here’s what you need to know. | Erin Cox | November 20, 2020 | Washington PostFor those who decide to celebrate despite the risk, doctors recommend quarantining and getting tested before the holiday.
As her partner struggles with covid-19, a quarantined Rachel Maddow pleads: ‘Don’t get this thing’ | Katie Shepherd | November 20, 2020 | Washington PostBefore the pandemic, Lieberman, the troupe’s executive artistic director, had celebrated 100 performances of the immersive “Unmaking Toulouse-Lautrec,” which took place in a lounge.
Looking from the outside in, ‘Voyeur’ reimagines the life of Toulouse-Lautrec | Jose Solís | November 19, 2020 | Washington PostThough I will say that the resumption of flights next month should not be celebrated or turned into an event.
The Boeing 737 Max faces an even tougher hurdle now: passenger fear | kdunn6 | November 19, 2020 | Fortune
When Obama took office in 2009, Michelle became the great experimenter of fashion, the great celebrator of little-known talent.
Michelle Obama’s Signs of Fashion Restraint on Election Night | Isabel Wilkinson | November 7, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTIsrael appears rather as the recipient than as the celebrator of God's loving-kindness.
The Expositor's Bible: The Psalms, Volume III | Alexander MaclarenIn times of old, king Yayati was the celebrator of sacrifices.
Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Bk. 3 Pt. 1 | Krishna-Dwaipayana VyasaHe is rather the prophet of what is to be than the celebrator of what is.
The Letters of Anne Gilchrist and Walt Whitman | Walt WhitmanIf Young must be acknowledged a ready celebrator, he did not endeavour, or did not choose, to be a lasting one.
The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. in Nine Volumes | Samuel Johnson
British Dictionary definitions for celebrate
/ (ˈsɛlɪˌbreɪt) /
to rejoice in or have special festivities to mark (a happy day, event, etc)
(tr) to observe (a birthday, anniversary, etc): she celebrates her ninetieth birthday next month
(tr) to perform (a solemn or religious ceremony), esp to officiate at (Mass)
(tr) to praise publicly; proclaim
Origin of celebrate
1Derived forms of celebrate
- celebration, noun
- celebrative, adjective
- celebrator, noun
- celebratory, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse