admiration

noun

ad·​mi·​ra·​tion ˌad-mə-ˈrā-shən 

1

: a feeling of respect and approval

They had/felt great admiration for her courage.

2

: an object of esteem

… his perfect horsemanship … was one of my earliest admirations.

—Joseph Conrad

3

archaic : wonder

Synonyms of admiration

• respect
• appreciation
• regard
• praise
• adoration

Examples of admiration in a Sentence

She looked at them in admiration.

I have great admiration for her courage.

We were filled with admiration for him.

She earned the admiration of her coworkers.

I have a great admiration for her courage.

Recent Examples on the Web

As Intterra began hearing both the admiration fire chiefs had for Watch Duty and their frustration with it, the company started designing the Aware app. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026

Queen Camilla, who wears the midi and maxidresses, took her admiration for Me+Em a step further, handing the brand a Royal Warrant as an official supplier of clothing and accessories to the royal household. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026

That may earn her the admiration of her college comrades, but at home, she’s seen as an idealistic naif — mocked, in particular, by her older brother Milan (Miodrag Dragicevic), who is staunchly right-wing in his sympathies. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026

What readers are saying The comments reflect a mix of admiration and criticism for Bob Woodward and Jeff Bezos. — Craig Whitlock, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English admiracion, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French amiracion, going back to Old French ammiration, borrowed from Latin admīrātiōn-, admīrātiō, from admīrārī "to admire" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing admiration

• self-admiration

Rhymes for admiration

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

admiration

noun

ad·​mi·​ra·​tion ˌad-mə-ˈrā-shən 

1

: an object of admiring regard

2

: a feeling of great and delighted approval