If something is laudable, it deserves praise. People often use it when the aim or the try is good, even if the result is not a full success — a laudable effort, a laudable goal. That “even if” is how English really leans on the word: it is kind, a little formal, and it lets you admire the attempt without pretending everything worked. You can also use it for something that simply ought to be praised, with no failure in the background. It is not a schoolyard word; you will hear it in writing, speeches, and careful talk. Though actually, if you only learn “good,” you miss the shade: laudable praises the spirit of the thing, not always the score.