celebrate Hear it!

celebrate Definition

cel·ebrate (sel′ə brāt′)

transitive verb -·brat′·ed, -·brat′·ing

  1. to perform (a ritual, ceremony, etc.) publicly and formally: solemnize
  2. to commemorate (an anniversary, holiday, etc.) with ceremony or festivity
  3. to honor or praise publicly
  4. to mark (a happy occasion) by engaging in some pleasurable activity

Etymology: ME celebraten < L celebratus, pp. of celebrare, to frequent, go in great numbers, honor < celeber, frequented, populous; akin to celer, swift: see hold

intransitive verb

  1. to observe a holiday, anniversary, etc. with festivities
  2. to perform a religious ceremony
  3. to mark a happy occasion by engaging in some pleasurable activity

celebrate Related Forms
cel′·e·bra′·tive adjective cel′·ebra′·tor noun cel′·e·bra·to′ry (-brə tôr′ē) adjective
celebrate Synonyms

celebrate

v.

  1. To recognize an occasion

    keep, observe, commemorate, consecrate, hallow, solemnize, sanctify, dedicate, memorialize, mark, honor, proclaim, ritualize, ceremonialize, signalize, mark with a red letter*.

    Antonyms forget*, overlook*, neglect. *

  2. To honor

    praise, laud, glorify, extol; see admire 1, praise 1.

  3. To indulge in celebration

    rejoice, carouse, feast, give a party, kill the fatted calf, revel, jubilate, make merry, go out on the town, go on a spree, party*, live it up*, make whoopee*, blow off steam*, let off steam*, have a party*, have a ball*, kick up one's heels*, let loose*, cut loose*, whoop it up*, paint the town red*, fire a salute*, beat the drum*.

celebrate means to mark an occasion or event, esp. a joyous one, with ceremonies or festivities let's celebrate your promotion; to commemorate is to honor the memory of some person or event, as with a ceremony or memorialto commemorate Lincoln's birthday; to solemnize is to use a formal, serious ritual to observe an occasionto solemnize a marriage; observe and keep mean to respectfully mark a day or occasion in the prescribed and appropriate manner to observe, or keep, a religious holiday

celebrate Usage Examples

Object

  • anniversary: A novel way of celebrating an anniversary or throwing a party?
  • birthday: A joint meeting is planned for June 2004 to celebrate the 80 th birthday of Sir David Cox.
  • achievement: We have rightly celebrated the achievements of the past five years.
  • diversity: From Oct 06 to March 07 Diverse City Season Free cultural events for all ages to celebrate the ethnic diversity of multicultural Britain.
  • success: Celebrating Success Meeting, Wandsworth Primary Care Trust, November 11th 2003.
  • millenium: The school has celebrated the coming Millenium in several ways.

Modifying Another Word

  • recently: Signals look good for Michael Michael Little has had plenty to celebrate recently.
  • rightly: We have rightly celebrated the achievements of the past five years.
  • tonight: Let us celebrate tonight the fifty years of Indian independence.
  • afterward: Celebrate afterward with a party to say thanks and make the candidates write some ' thank you ' notes.
  • together: Let's celebrate together in the old fashioned way.
  • instead: And so, with no actual cup to parade through the College, we went to the pub to celebrate instead.

Used with why or when

  • what: We need to celebrate what God has given us, for God's bounty has been wonderful.
  • who: The USA really does allow you to celebrate who you are in a very undiluted manner.

Present participle complement

  • win: Big Pit starts 2006 by celebrating winning an award for its education work.
  • reach: Professor Bill Mead at 90 This summer Professor Emeritus Bill Mead celebrates reaching the age of 90.
  • start: The children receive a swimming bag to celebrate starting the course and badges and certificates as they progress.

Preposition: in

  • style: Come to stay and relax, be indulged and celebrate in style.
  • street: It was the final days of July 1996 and fans were celebrating in the street.

Preposition: with

  • bottle: Celebrating with a bottle of Blue Nun, the rotund Alan Partridge wannabe gloated at having seized back his gold so easily.
celebrate Quotes

I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For everyatom belonging to me asgood belongs to you.

—Whitman,Walt(er)

Summoning artists to participate In the august occasions of the state Seems something artists ought to celebrate.

—Frost, Robert Lee

If an earthquake were to engulf England tomorrow, the English would manage to meet and dine somewhere among the rubbish, just to celebrate the event.

—Jerrold, Douglas William

Browse dictionary entries near celebrate

  1. ‹ celebrant
  2. ‹ Celebes Sea
  3. ‹ Celebes
  4. ‹ celeb
  5. ‹ -cele
  6. ‹ Celaya
  7. ‹ celandine
  8. ‹ Celan
  9. ‹ celadon
  10. ‹ ceilometer
  1. celebrated ›
  2. celebration ›
  3. celebrity ›
  4. celeriac ›
  5. celerity ›
  6. celery ›
  7. celery salt ›
  8. celesta ›
  9. Celeste ›
  10. celestial ›