eulogy

eulogy — noun

1. a spoken or written tribute honoring a person who has just died, typically prese

1.名詞B2
釋義

a spoken or written tribute honoring a person who has just died, typically presented at a funeral or memorial service

例句

At the funeral, Maeve gave a heartfelt eulogy that made everyone remember her grandmother's kindness.

give a eulogy + at [event]

The priest asked the family if anyone wanted to deliver a eulogy for their father.

同義詞
  • tribute

    Tribute is broader — it can be for living or dead people and can take many forms (speech, gift, event), while eulogy refers specifically to words of praise at a funeral.

  • panegyric

    Panegyric is a very formal and often lengthy public speech of praise; it is much rarer and more literary than eulogy.

  • oration

    Oration is a formal public speech on any serious topic; it is not limited to praise or funerals.

反義詞
  • criticism

    Criticism expresses disapproval or negative judgment, the opposite of praising someone.

  • lament

    Lament focuses on grief and sorrow rather than praise, though both relate to death.

文法句型

eulogy + for + person

deliver/give a eulogy

用法筆記

A eulogy is typically spoken aloud at a funeral or memorial service, often by a family member, close friend, or religious leader. It is distinct from an obituary (a printed notice of death) and an elegy (a poem of mourning). Frequently used with the verbs deliver, give, read, or write.

常見錯誤

❌I read a beautiful elegy at my grandfather's funeral.
✅I read a beautiful eulogy at my grandfather's funeral.
💡An elegy is a poem or song expressing sorrow, not a speech of praise.
❌Her eulogy in the newspaper listed her surviving relatives.
✅Her obituary in the newspaper listed her surviving relatives.
💡An obituary is a published death notice; a eulogy is spoken or written praise.
❌She eulogied her father.
✅She gave a eulogy for her father.
💡Eulogy is a noun; the verb form is eulogize, not 'eulogy'.

2. a formal spoken or written expression of high praise for someone or something, n

2.名詞C1
釋義

a formal spoken or written expression of high praise for someone or something, not necessarily connected with death

例句

The critic's eulogy for the novel described it as a masterpiece of modern literature.

eulogy + for + [thing] — non-death sense

At the retirement party, Zola offered a warm eulogy to her colleague's thirty years of service.

同義詞
  • tribute

    Tribute is more common and less formal; it works in everyday contexts where eulogy might seem too grand or old-fashioned.

  • accolade

    Accolade refers to an award, honor, or special mark of recognition, not a verbal expression of praise like eulogy.

  • commendation

    Commendation is formal praise for specific actions or achievements, often official (e.g. a commendation from a manager), whereas eulogy is more about general character or worth.

反義詞
  • condemnation

    Condemnation is a strong expression of disapproval, the opposite of formal praise.

文法句型

eulogy + to + thing

eulogy + for + achievement

用法筆記

This broader sense does not imply death. It can refer to formal praise for someone retiring, for an achievement, or even for an object or idea. When the context is clear (e.g. a retirement event), use of eulogy in this sense is natural, but it is less common than the funeral-related sense 1.

常見錯誤

❌The award ceremony eulogy focused on his career accomplishments.' (sounds like a funeral)
✅The award ceremony tribute focused on his career accomplishments.
💡In non-funeral contexts, tribute is more natural unless the tone is highly formal.