The Collaborative International Dictionary
Congratulate \Con*grat"u*late\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Congratulated; p. pr. & vb. n. Congratulating.] [L. congratulatus, p. p. of congratulari to wish joy abundantly; con- + gratulari to wish joy, from gratus pleasing. See Grateful.] To address with expressions of sympathetic pleasure on account of some happy event affecting the person addressed; to wish joy to.
It is the king's most sweet pleasure and affection to
congratulate the princess at her pavilion.
--Shak.
To congratulate one's self, to rejoice; to feel satisfaction; to consider one's self happy or fortunate.
Syn: To Congratulate, Felicitate.
Usage: To felicitate is simply to wish a person joy. To congratulate has the additional signification of uniting in the joy of him whom we congratulate. Hence they are by no means synonymous. One who has lost the object of his affections by her marriage to a rival, might perhaps felicitate that rival on his success, but could never be expected to congratulate him on such an event.
Felicitations are little better than
compliments; congratulations are the expression
of a genuine sympathy and joy.
--Trench.
Wiktionary
vb. (present participle of congratulate English)
Usage examples of "congratulating".
I had never seen her looking so well, and I could not help congratulating her.
The Pope enquiring who I was, I told him, and he answered that he knew me, congratulating me upon my being in the service of so eminent a cardinal.
I gave the dear girl ten sequins, and I went away congratulating myself, but cursing my luck at not being able to make as good provision for Barberine as Murray had made for her sister.
I turned away, pretending not to know her, for the sight of her was disagreeable to me, but in a sad voice she called me by my name, congratulating me on my prosperity and bewailing her own wretchedness.
I went upstairs, and he followed me, and I shewed him into the room, congratulating the lady on the pleasant surprise.
I guessed that I was near the denouement of the romance, but I was very far from congratulating myself, for I did not know whether the denouement would prove agreeable or not.
He replied by congratulating us on our good fortune, but he prophesied inevitable disaster if we had not the prudence to stop our intercourse.
After congratulating me upon having escaped with my life out of such a bad predicament, they left me alone.
Corneman's, and be sure that in a few weeks we shall be congratulating ourselves on having won a great victory.
The bride beamed with happiness, and on my congratulating her she confessed her joy to be great, adding that it was increased by the fact that she owed it all to me.
Of course we embraced one another, congratulating each other upon the pleasure we both felt in meeting again in Parma.
While congratulating myself on having made mother and daughter happy, I adored the secret paths and ways of Divine Providence.
Kenny replied, secretly congratulating himself for getting her parents to sign a writ-of-consent before they left.
Holding it at arm's length in front of her, Killashandra was congratulating herself on her smooth routine when she tripped getting over the cutter's hatch.
Then Whitby and Zainal were congratulating him and Sarah, and admiring the baby.