Kudos
n.joyful, capableplayful
What it means
Public praise or credit given for a worthwhile achievement.
Reach for it when offering upbeat recognition for work done especially well
Kudos to the night crew for finding the leak before it reached the archive.
Choose between these
7- playful
props
very casual recognition suits the group
not when Props sounds unserious in formal acknowledgment.
- everyday
broad expressed approval fits
not when Praise can concern character without a specific achievement.
- warm
congratulations
you are directly celebrating completed success
not when Congratulations addresses the achiever; kudos can be discussed.
- professional
credit
fair recognition of contribution matters
not when Credit can be factual attribution with little celebration.
- professional
the contribution should be formally noticed
not when Recognition is cooler and less celebratory.
- formal
wide approval has been earned
not when Acclaim is too grand for an everyday contribution.
- literary
collective approval is vivid or literal
not when Applause suggests an audience and may dramatize quiet work.
Said against
3- criticism
- blame
- censure
It naturally appears in
3- kudos to the team
Kudos to the team that reopened the footpath ahead of schedule.
- deserve kudos
The volunteers deserve kudos for making every instruction accessible.
- earn kudos
You earn kudos by solving the problem without hiding the tradeoff.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English noun sense: praise or acclaim opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.