To applaud means to clap your hands together repeatedly to show approval, appreciation, or praise. When an audience applauds at the end of a school play, they're showing the actors that they enjoyed the performance. When your classmates applaud after your presentation, they're recognizing your hard work.

It captures that specific moment when people express approval through sound and gesture. You might applaud a brilliant goal in soccer, a friend's brave speech, or a musician's performance. The strength and length of applause often signal how impressed people are: a standing ovation with thunderous applause shows greater enthusiasm than polite, brief clapping.

The word can also mean to express approval more generally, without literal clapping. A teacher might applaud your decision to help a struggling classmate, meaning she praises that choice. When someone says, “I applaud your effort,” they're commending your hard work, even if no actual clapping is involved. Applause is the noun form, meaning the sound of many people clapping together.