Panegyrising

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Delivering a formal speech or written tribute that lavishly praises a person or achievement
2. Offering elaborate, public commendation in the manner of a eulogy or formal address honoring someone
3. Extolling a person or accomplishment with grand, emphatic words in a solemn and admiring way

Etymology: "Panegyrising" is the present participle of "panegyrise", the British spelling of "panegyrize", meaning to praise someone or something at length and with great formality. The verb itself comes from the Greek "panēgyrizein", built from "pan", meaning "all", and "agora", meaning an assembly or gathering. A "panēgyris" was a festival where a whole community gathered, so the original sense was closer to speaking before a crowd than to flattery. The Greek word passed into Latin as "panegyricus", a speech delivered at a public celebration, and English took the noun "panegyric" from it, while the verb developed later from that noun. The spelling "-ise" follows British convention, with "-ize" the common alternative in American English.

Synonyms: eulogise, extol, laud, praise

Antonyms: denigrate, disparage