Extols

Extols is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb extol. To extol someone or something is to praise highly or enthusiastically. The base verb extol is transitive and typically takes a direct object, as in “the reviewer extols the novel's originality” or “the speaker extols the program's benefits.”

Originating from Latin extollere, meaning to lift up or exalt, the term entered English through medieval Latin and Old French, with attestations dating from the late Middle Ages. The sense has remained close to its literal idea of lifting praise to a high level.

Extols is more common in formal, literary, or rhetorical contexts than in everyday speech. It carries a strong positive evaluative charge and is frequently used with nouns such as virtues, achievements, or benefits: “extol the virtues of democracy” or “extols the ingenuity of the design.” The phrase “extol the virtues of” is a standard collocation. Synonyms include laud, praise, exalt, and glorify; however, extol often implies vigorous or enthusiastic praise.

In usage notes, extols is not interchangeable with milder terms such as praises; it signals emphatic endorsement. It is useful in analyses of rhetoric, criticism, or religious discourse where speakers aim to celebrate ideals.