accolade
Intermediate (B1)
IPA: /ˈækəleɪd/
KK: /ˈæ.kə.leɪd/
noun
Definition
An award or special recognition given to someone for their achievements or excellence. It can also refer to praise or approval for someone's work.
Example
The author received an accolade for her outstanding contribution to literature.
Conversation
Did you hear about the award ceremony last night?
Yeah, I saw some pictures online — looks like they gave out a lot of accolades.
I loved how everyone celebrated the winners; it was so inspiring.
Definitely! Those accolades really show how hard they worked.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
award
honor
tribute
Antonyms
disapproval
criticism
denunciation
transitive verb
Definition
To give praise or honor to someone for their achievements or qualities.
Example
The author was accoladed for her outstanding contributions to literature.
Tense Forms
Past: accoladed
Past Participle: accoladed
Conversation
Did you hear that the author was accoladed at the last book fair?
Yeah, I read about that! It’s amazing how they recognized his work.
I think it's important to accolade those who contribute so much to literature.
Root Explanation
Accolade comes from the Old French word 'accolade' (meaning embrace or accolade), which itself derives from the Latin 'ad-' (meaning to) and 'collum' (meaning neck). The term originally referred to the act of embracing someone, particularly in a ceremonial context, such as the conferring of knighthood.
Memory Tip
Imagine the act of embracing someone around the neck ('collum') as a sign of honor or recognition — that's how 'accolade' means an award or expression of praise.
Visually Confused Words
saccade