Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense celebrates, present participle celebrating, past tense, past participle celebrated
1. verb
If you celebrate, you do something enjoyable because of a special occasion or to mark someone's success.
I was in a mood to celebrate. [VERB]
Tom celebrated his 24th birthday two days ago. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: rejoice, party, enjoy yourself, carouse More Synonyms of celebrate
2. verb
If an organization or country is celebrating an anniversary, it has existed for that length of time and is doing something special because of it.
The Society is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. [VERB noun]
3. verb
When priests celebrate Holy Communion or Mass, they officially perform the actions and ceremonies that are involved.
The Pope will celebrate Mass in Westminster Cathedral. [VERB noun]
More Synonyms of celebrate
celebrate in British English
(ˈsɛlɪˌbreɪt)
verb
1.
to rejoice in or have special festivities to mark (a happy day, event, etc)
2. (transitive)
to observe (a birthday, anniversary, etc)
she celebrates her ninetieth birthday next month
3. (transitive)
to perform (a solemn or religious ceremony), esp to officiate at (Mass)
4. (transitive)
to praise publicly; proclaim
Derived forms
celebration (ˌceleˈbration)
noun
celebrative (ˈcelebrative)
adjective
celebrator (ˈceleˌbrator)
noun
celebratory (ˈceleˌbratory)
adjective
Word origin
C15: from Latin celebrāre, from celeber numerous, thronged, renowned
celebrate in American English
(ˈsɛləˌbreɪt)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈceleˌbrated or ˈceleˌbrating
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
verb intransitive
5.
to observe a holiday, anniversary, etc. with festivities
6.
to perform a religious ceremony
7.
to mark a happy occasion by engaging in some pleasurable activity
SYNONYMY NOTE: celebrate means to mark an occasion or event, esp. a joyous one, with ceremony or festivity[let's celebrate your promotion]; to commemorate is to honor the memory of some person or event as by a ceremony [to commemorate Lincoln's birthday]; to solemnize is to use a formal, serious ritual [to solemnize a marriage]; observe and the less formal , keep mean to mark respectfully a day or occasion in the prescribed and appropriate manner[to observe, or keep, a religious holiday]
Derived forms
celebrative (ˈceleˌbrative)
adjective
celebrator (ˈceleˌbrator)
noun
celebratory (ˈcelebraˌtory) (ˈsəlɛbrəˌtɔri)
adjective
Word origin
ME celebraten < L celebratus, pp. of celebrare, to frequent, go in great numbers, honor < celeber, frequented, populous; akin to celer, swift: see hold1
Examples of 'celebrate' in a sentence
celebrate
From the expression on her face, I knew that it wasn't time to celebrate.
James Grippando A KING'S RANSOM (2001)
In other languages
celebrate
British English: celebrate /ˈsɛlɪˌbreɪt/ VERB
If you celebrate, or celebrate something, you do something enjoyable because of a special occasion.
The team have been celebrating their victory.
American English: celebrate
Arabic: يَحْتَفِلُ
Brazilian Portuguese: celebrar
Chinese: 庆祝
Croatian: slaviti
Czech: oslavit
Danish: fejre
Dutch: vieren
European Spanish: celebrar
Finnish: juhlia
French: célébrer
German: feiern
Greek: γιορτάζω
Italian: festeggiare
Japanese: 祝う
Korean: 경축하다
Norwegian: feire
Polish: świętować
European Portuguese: celebrar
Romanian: a sărbători
Russian: праздновать
Latin American Spanish: celebrar
Swedish: fira högtidhålla
Thai: ฉลอง
Turkish: kutlamak
Ukrainian: святкувати
Vietnamese: ăn mừng
Chinese translation of 'celebrate'
celebrate
(ˈsɛlɪbreɪt)
vt
[success, birthday]庆(慶)祝 (qìngzhù)
(Rel)[mass]主持 (zhǔchí)
vi
庆(慶)祝 (qìngzhù)
1 (verb)
Definition
to hold festivities
I was in a mood to celebrate.
Synonyms
rejoice
We are cold and hungry but we rejoice to have succeeded.
party
Let's party like there's no tomorrow!
enjoy yourself
carouse
They should stay home more, instead of going out and carousing with friends.
live it up (informal)
There's no reason why you couldn't live it up once in a while.
whoop it up (informal)
make merry
Neighbours went out into the streets and made merry together.
paint the town red (informal)
Thousands of football fans painted the town red after the match.
go on a spree
large it (British, slang)
put the flags out
roister
kill the fatted calf
2 (verb)
Definition
to hold festivities
Tom celebrated his birthday two days ago.
Synonyms
commemorate
a gallery of paintings commemorating great moments in baseball history
honour
He had failed to honour his word.
observe
We are observing Christmas quietly this year.
toast
They toasted to her accomplishments.
drink to
keep
My father never kept the Sabbath and I never did either.
3 (verb)
Definition
to perform (a solemn or religious ceremony)
Pope John Paul celebrated mass today in a city in central Poland.
Synonyms
perform
people who have performed outstanding acts of bravery
observe
Forcing motorists to observe speed restrictions is difficult.
preside over
officiate at
solemnize
reverence
4 (verb)
Definition
to praise publicly
a festival to celebrate the life and work of this great composer
Synonyms
praise
Many praised him for taking a strong stand.
honour
Two pioneering surgeons were honoured with the Nobel Prize.
commend (informal)
She was highly commended for her bravery.
glorify
the banning of songs glorifying war
publicize
exalt
This book exalts her as a genius.
laud (literary)
They lauded the former president as a hero.
extol
She keeps extolling his managerial skills.
big up (slang)
eulogize
He eulogized Keegan's part in the operation.
crack up
Additional synonyms
in the sense of carouse
Definition
to have a merry drinking party
They should stay home more, instead of going out and carousing with friends.
Synonyms
drink,
booze (informal),
revel,
imbibe (formal),
quaff,
pub-crawl (informal, British),
bevvy (dialect),
make merry,
wassail,
bend the elbow (informal),
roister,
go on the piss (taboo, slang)
in the sense of commend
Definition
to praise in a formal manner
She was highly commended for her bravery.
Synonyms
praise,
acclaim,
applaud,
compliment,
extol,
approve,
big up (slang),
eulogize,
speak highly of
in the sense of eulogize
Definition
to praise (a person or thing) highly in speech or writing