- applause
- applause, acclamation, acclaim, plaudits denote public expression of approbation.Applause usually suggests loudness or liveliness of demonstration and often carries its literal implication of clapping hands{
she waited until the applause died down
}{round after round of applause greeted him
}However, it may be used to designate any other noisy or emphatic expression of approval (as stamping of feet, cheering, or waving of flags){applause rang out from a hundred thousand throats— Froude
}Acclamation adds to applause the implications of eagerness, enthusiasm, and often unanimity of assent: it often retains its basic implication of crying out{he was nominated to the office by acclamation without a ballot, and with emphatically voiced approval
}{his speech was received with acclamation
}Acclaim is more poetic than acclamation though often interchanged with the latter; it sometimes carries implications of loftier deeds and more enduring esteem than acclamation{the heroes were hailed with acclaim
}{his poetry met with universal acclaim
}Plaudits, though literally equal to applause, may suggest polite or gracious rather than demonstrative expressions of approval{the colonel bowed and smiled with very pleasant good nature at our plaudits— Thackeray
}Analogous words: cheering or cheers, rooting (see corresponding verbs at APPLAUD)Antonyms: hisses: boosContrasted words: deriding or derision, taunting or taunts, ridiculing or ridicule, twitting, mocking (see corresponding verbs at RIDICULE)
New Dictionary of Synonyms. 2014.
