extollere

Extollere is a Latin verb meaning to lift up or raise, physically or figuratively, and, in rhetoric, to extol or praise highly. The basic sense covers both lifting something aloft and elevating a person, virtue, or achievement in speech. The infinitive extollere reflects a core idea of raising or lifting outward, which later broadens to praise.

In classical Latin, extollere is used with both concrete and abstract objects, such as extollere virtutem or extollere laudem, to indicate praising or exalting a quality or achievement. The word also appears in descriptions of lifting or raising objects, rewards, or standards, allowing a seamless transition between the literal and figurative meanings in literary and oratorical contexts.

Etymologically, extollere gives rise to the English verb extol. The path generally passes from Latin extollere through Old French estoller or estoller, and into Middle English as extol, before settling in modern English usage. The sense shift—from lifting something up physically to praising someone or something highly—reflects a common pattern in Latin to Romance language transformations.

In English, extol remains the standard verb for high praise, with related forms such as extolling and the historical noun extolment appearing in varied registers. The term is most often found in formal, poetic, or rhetorical writing, as well as in translations of Latin authors, where it preserves the dual sense of lifting and praising.