To laud means to praise someone highly and publicly, honoring their achievements in a formal or elevated way that ensures others recognize the significance of what they've done. When the principal lauds a teacher at an assembly for twenty years of excellent service, she's making sure the whole school knows how valuable the teacher's work has been, celebrating their contributions in front of the entire community.

You might praise your friend's drawing in the hallway, but a museum curator lauds an artist's lifetime achievement. A coach praises individual plays during practice but lauds a team captain's leadership at the end-of-season banquet.

Laudable means deserving praise. A student's laudable effort to help new classmates feel welcome shows character worth recognizing. Notice that laudable focuses on whether something deserves praise, while laud is the act of actually giving that praise. When you work hard and accomplish something meaningful, others might laud your achievement because your effort was laudable.