admirable

adjective

ad·​mi·​ra·​ble ˈad-m(ə-)rə-bəl 

1

: deserving the highest esteem : excellent

an admirable achievement

2

obsolete : exciting wonder : surprising

admirability

ˌad-m(ə-)rə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

admirableness

ˈad-m(ə-)rə-bəl-nəs 

noun

admirably

ˈad-m(ə-)rə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms of admirable

• meritorious
• worthy
• excellent
• commendable
• laudable
• impressive
• praiseworthy
• awesome

Examples of admirable in a Sentence

Loyalty was her most admirable quality.

it's admirable the way she helps her elderly neighbor with chores and errands every Saturday

Recent Examples on the Web

Our agency, whose staff was overwhelmingly female, decided, with admirable discretion, that the assignment should go to a man. — Bob Brody, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026

Grant’s comeback hopefully will bode well to an interior defensive line unit that has the Dolphins playing admirable—ranked 15th—against the run. — Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026

Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions is an admirable example of how focus and restraint can lay the foundation for a major business. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2026

Such ruthless prioritization produced some admirable results. — Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English admyrable, borrowed from Anglo-French admirable, borrowed from Latin admīrābilis, from admīrārī "to admire" + -bilis "capable (of acting or being acted upon)" — more at -able

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

admirable

adjective

ad·​mi·​ra·​ble ˌad-mə-rə-bəl 

-mrə-bəl

: deserving to be admired : excellent

admirableness noun

admirably

-blē 

adverb