sing someone's praises

Meaning

This idiom means to speak very highly of someone, expressing enthusiastic approval, admiration, or praise for their achievements, skills, or character. It is often used in professional contexts when recommending a colleague, or in social situations when boasting about someone. The tone is always highly supportive and positive.

Examples

• The manager has been singing your praises ever since you successfully landed that major client.

  The manager has been singing your praises ever since you successfully landed that major client.

• I decided to hire the new graphic designer because everyone in the industry was singing her praises.

  I decided to hire the new graphic designer because everyone in the industry was singing her praises.

• My mother-in-law is not easily impressed, but she has done nothing but sing your praises since the dinner.

  My mother-in-law is not easily impressed, but she has done nothing but sing your praises since the dinner.

• Instead of competing with each other, the two co-stars spent the entire interview singing each other's praises.

  Instead of competing with each other, the two co-stars spent the entire interview singing each other's praises.

• If you do a great job on this project, the director will be singing your praises to the executives.

  If you do a great job on this project, the director will be singing your praises to the executives.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ She sang my praise to the department head.

  ✓ She sang my praises to the department head.

  The idiom is always plural: 'sing someone's praises'. Using the singular form 'praise' sounds incorrect to native speakers.

• ✗ They were singing praises of him during the meeting.

  ✓ They were singing his praises during the meeting.

  While 'sing the praises of [someone]' is grammatically correct, 'singing praises of him' is awkward. The most natural structure uses a possessive adjective (his/her/their praises).

Related Expressions

Practice

• Our clients always ___ after working with our customer support team.

  💡 Express high approval or speak very highly of us.

  Show answer

  sing our praises

• There's no need to be modest when your colleagues are all ___ to the director.

  💡 Enthusiastically speaking well of you.

  Show answer

  singing your praises