kudos
C1Formal, literary; also common in journalistic and corporate contexts.
Definition
Meaning
Praise, honour, and recognition received for an achievement.
Can refer to the prestige or social credit one gains from such praise, sometimes perceived as an intangible but valuable social asset.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Despite its -s ending, it is a singular, non-count noun. 'Much kudos' or 'a lot of kudos' is correct; 'many kudos' is informal. Often used in the construction 'kudos to [someone]'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in meaning or syntactic patterns. The pronunciation of the initial syllable (/kjuː/ vs /kuː/) shows some variation, but is not strictly regional.
Connotations
Slightly more established in academic and media writing in the UK. In the US, it is frequently used in business and tech environments.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in American English, particularly in workplace and media contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
kudos to [Person/Group] (for [Action/Result])kudos for [Action/Result]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “All kudos to...”
- “Kudos where kudos is due”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to acknowledge and reward effort or success within a team, e.g., in company-wide communications: 'Kudos to the marketing team for exceeding targets.'
Academic
Found in acknowledgements or reviews to credit contributions, e.g., 'Great kudos is due to the pioneering researchers in this field.'
Everyday
Less common, but used sincerely or sarcastically among peers: 'Kudos for fixing the Wi-Fi!'
Technical
Rare in highly technical prose, but may appear in trade publications or project post-mortems.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- She received a lot of kudos for her excellent presentation.
- Kudos to you for finishing the marathon!
- The design team earned considerable kudos for their innovative work on the project.
- The author gained significant kudos after winning the prestigious literary prize.
- While the financial reward was modest, the professional kudos associated with the award was immense.
- He basked in the kudos bestowed upon him by his academic peers, though he remained characteristically modest.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'KUDOS' as 'CUE-DOS' (as in a cue for a dose of praise).
Conceptual Metaphor
PRAISE/PRESTIGE IS A VALUABLE COMMODITY (earned, received, deserved).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'кудри' (curls).
- There is no direct one-word equivalent; avoid using 'слава' (glory) or 'похвала' (praise) without context.
- The word is singular in English, which can confuse Russian speakers due to the final 's'.
Common Mistakes
- Treating it as a plural: 'Many kudos are due.' (Informal/incorrect) vs. 'Much kudos is due.' (Correct).
- Attempting to create a singular 'kudo' in formal writing.
- Mispronouncing the first syllable as /kaʊ/ (like 'cow').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses 'kudos' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a singular, non-count noun. You say 'This kudos is well-deserved,' not 'These kudos are...' in formal contexts.
No, 'kudo' is a back-formation and is considered informal or erroneous by many style guides. Stick with 'kudos' as a singular noun.
The most common mistake is treating it as a plural noun (e.g., 'many kudos are') and mispronouncing the first syllable to rhyme with 'how'.
Yes, it is generally considered formal or literary, though its use in business and media has made it more common in professional registers.
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