German word

preisen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈpʁaɪ̯zən/

Meaning

  • verbpraise

Example

Ich preise deine Ehrlichkeit.

I praise your honesty.

Illustration for preisen (praise)

More examples

Die Kritiker preisen den neuen Roman in den Himmel.

The critics praise the new novel to the skies.

Core concept

A public speaker puts a person's or thing's best qualities under a bright spotlight for an audience.

Common phrases

  • jemanden für etwas preisen

    praise someone for something

  • etwas in den Himmel preisen

    praise something to the skies

  • jemandes Verdienste preisen

    praise someone's merits

Similar words

loben: To express approval of someone's good qualities in everyday speech.
anpreisen: To advertise a product or service by overstating its appealing qualities.
rühmen: To celebrate a person's achievements or accomplishments with public praise.

Definition in German

jemanden oder etwas öffentlich loben und seine guten Eigenschaften hervorheben

Word origin

Preisen comes from Middle High German prîsen, borrowed from a Romance form related to Latin pretium, 'value'.

Usage tips

  • Preisen is more elevated and emphatic than everyday loben, so it often occurs in formal praise, advertising, or literary language.

Other meanings

  • exaltverb

Opposites

Related words

  • preiswürdigpraiseworthyadjective
  • gepriesenpraisedadjective

Word lists with this word