celebrate
gb/sˈɛləbɹˌeɪt/ us/sˈɛləbɹˌeɪt/
A2
English
~ 2500
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Mark an event with festivities
To do something special for a happy event or day.
Usage pattern:
to celebrate [an event/occasion]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'celebrate' with 'party'. 'Party' is a noun or verb for the event itself, while 'celebrate' is the action of marking the occasion.
Synonyms
commemorate (More formal; can also refer to remembering sad events with respect.)
|
observe (More formal and neutral; often used for official or religious occasions.)
Antonyms
ignore (To deliberately not acknowledge or mark an event.)
Collocations
celebrate a birthday
|celebrate a wedding
|celebrate Christmas
|celebrate together
|celebrate in style
Themes
daily life
|events
|emotions
|daily_life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We celebrated her promotion with a big dinner.
- Families across the country celebrate the New Year with fireworks.
- They celebrated their wedding anniversary by traveling abroad.
- The whole town came together to celebrate the festival.
- We celebrated in style after winning the championship.
Learner examples
- We celebrate my birthday every year.
- They celebrate Christmas with their family.
- We will celebrate our wedding next month.
- She celebrates the New Year with her friends.
- We celebrate together at the party.
Verb
B1
action
2
Praise or honor publicly
To say or show that someone or something is very good and important.
Usage pattern:
to celebrate [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the 'mark an occasion' meaning; here, no actual event may take place — it is about giving praise or recognition.
Synonyms
honor (Implies showing deep respect, sometimes in a formal way.)
|
praise (Focuses on expressing approval, often verbally.)
Antonyms
criticize (To express disapproval of someone or something.)
Collocations
celebrate diversity
|celebrate achievements
|celebrate success
Themes
emotions
|culture
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The article celebrates the artist's unique style.
- We should celebrate the team's hard work and dedication.
- Her book celebrates the beauty of everyday life.
- The festival celebrates local traditions and crafts.
Learner examples
- The book celebrates her life.
- We celebrate our teachers on this day.
- The story celebrates friendship.
- The festival celebrates music and dance.
Grammar
Dictionary form
celebrate
IPA
GB/sˈɛləbɹˌeɪt/
US/sˈɛləbɹˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
cel - eb - rate (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (cel)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: celebrate
- 3rd Person Singular: celebrates
- Present Participle: celebrating
- Past: celebrated
Word family
Forms
celebrates
verb
celebrating
verb
celebrated
verb
Core family
celebration
noun A2
Related words
celebratory
adjective
celebrity
noun A2
Advanced or less common
celebrant
noun
Expressions
celebrate in style
1/sˈɛləbɹˌeɪt ˈɪn stˈaɪl/
fixed phrase
Mark an occasion impressively
To do something special and exciting to mark an event.
Examples
- They celebrated in style with a rooftop party and live music.
- After winning the tournament, the team celebrated in style at a fancy restaurant.
celebrate the fact that
1/sˈɛləbɹˌeɪt ðə fˈækt ðˈæt/
fixed phrase
Be happy about a fact
To be glad and show happiness because something is true.
Examples
- Let's celebrate the fact that we finished on time.
- She celebrated the fact that her friend was safe.
celebrate together
1/sˈɛləbɹˌeɪt təɡˈɛðɚ/
fixed phrase
Mark an occasion jointly
To do something special with other people for a happy event.
Examples
- Families from different backgrounds came to celebrate together at the park.
- We always celebrate together during the holidays.