To honor or celebrate someone or something by raising a drink and speaking good wishes.
Reach for it when describing a social ritual of public appreciation or celebration
At dinner, the apprentices will toast the craftswoman who trained them.
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm | |
| formal | |
| literary |
playful
cheers to
Fits when a casual spoken celebration is intended
Careful Cheers to is grammatically loose and too chatty for a formal tribute.
everyday
Fits when the wider joyful occasion matters
Careful Celebrate does not identify the spoken ritual or raised drink.
everyday
drink to
Fits when the beverage and good wishes should be explicit
Careful The phrase may exclude guests who do not drink and can sound alcohol-centered.
warm
Fits when admiration is expressed without a ritual
Careful Praise can evaluate work rather than thank or wish well.
warm
raise a glass to
Fits when traditional celebratory imagery is welcome
Careful It is too elaborate for non-drinking settings or concise reporting.
formal
Fits when respect and recognition are central
Careful Honor can be solemn and need not involve festivity.
formal
salute
Fits when concise public respect is offered
Careful Salute carries military associations and may omit warmth.
literary
Fits when enthusiastic public acclaim suits elevated prose
Careful Hail sounds archaic and much grander than a friendly dinner toast.
toast the couple
Friends will toast the couple with wishes for a generous life together.
toast to success
The team paused to toast to success before discussing the next risk.
propose a toast
The youngest apprentice stood to propose a toast to the retiring foreman.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Neskaya, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated
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