kudos means an interjection indicating praise or approval or as an acknowledgement of a laudable achievement. It carries an Arena rating of 1765, earned across 12 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, kudos ranks #244 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #1,057 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #2,047 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #2,393 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words.
kudos is pronounced /ˈk(j)uː.dɒs/.
Why “kudos” is a great word
Praise, acclaim, or credit given for an achievement. From the Ancient Greek κῦδος (kûdos, “praise, renown, glory”), it first surfaced in English around 1799, likely in university slang. Unlike a “compliment,” which polishes the person, or “fame,” which measures the size of the audience, kudos is the formal substance of the laurel itself—the specific, earned weight of honor. It is the crisp handshake after a flawless presentation, the solemn nod from a respected rival, and the single, perfectly chosen word of validation from the one person whose opinion matters; it is the currency in which the accomplished trade, knowing it cannot be borrowed or bought.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κῦδος (kûdos, “praise, renown”).
intj
- An interjection indicating praise or approval or as an acknowledgement of a laudable achievement.
noun
- Praise; accolades.e.g.“The talented, young playwright received much kudos for his new drama.”
- Credit for one's achievements.
verb
- To give praise or accolades.e.g.“You know and I know that Dr. Tinsley likes a bit of kudosing every now and then. I think it would be well if we seriously considered some kind of honorable mention for him at the Conference.” — 2018, Margaret Edds, We Face the Dawn:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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