appraise

1 of 2

verb

ap·​praise ə-ˈprāz 

appraised; appraising

transitive verb

1

: to set a value on : to estimate the amount of

appraise the damage

2

: to evaluate the worth, significance, or status of

especially : to give an expert judgment of the value or merit of

appraise an actor's career

appraisee

ə-ˌprā-ˈzē 

noun

appraisement

ə-ˈprāz-mənt 

noun

appraiser noun

appraisive

ə-ˈprā-ziv 

adjective

appraiser

2 of 2

noun

ap·​prais·​er

ə-ˈprā-zər

plural -s

1

: one that appraises something (such as real estate for determining tax rates or sales prices, imported articles for the assessing of tariff duties, damaged goods for salvage, or the property of bankrupt businesses for auction-sale value of assets)

2

: one that estimates status, excellence, or potentiality

specifically : one that as a guide to the establishment of new businesses or advertising contracts studies a neighborhood to appraise its buying power, class of goods used, or services desired

3

: one that determines the authenticity of works of art by means of X-ray and other scientific methods of examination

Synonyms of appraise

Verb

• assess
• estimate
• value
• evaluate

Choose the Right Synonym for appraise

estimate, appraise, evaluate, value, rate, assess mean to judge something with respect to its worth or significance.

estimate implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out.

estimated the crowd at two hundred

appraise commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment.

having their house appraised

evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary.

evaluate a student's work

value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment.

a watercolor valued by the donor at $500

rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values.

a highly rated restaurant

assess implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action.

officials are trying to assess the damage

Examples of appraise in a Sentence

Verb

The ring must be appraised by a jeweler before it can be insured.

appraise the house and property

What is the property's appraised value?

In the book, he appraises Hollywood's recent films and contrasts them with several independent films.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The report also showed Uthmeier collected $18,000 in rental income from a Plaza Tower condominium in Tallahassee appraised at $424,000. —Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 10 June 2026

But, after a foreclosure, the home, which was appraised at nearly $200,000, sold at auction for about half that value. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026

Beside her, the dog shakes itself, droplets flying from it, then fixes her with an appraising gaze. —Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026

Iran had a 5,000-year history of winemaking until the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Romans would appraise which land to conquer partly on their suitability for vines, while Carthusian monks have distilled Chartreuse for almost four centuries. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 25 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English appraysen, probably from Anglo-French *appreiser, from a- (from Latin ad-) + preiser to prize, praise

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for appraise

• ablaze
• airways
• allays
• always
• amaze
• anglaise
• archways
• arrays
• ashtrays
• assays
• atpase
• ballets

Kids Definition

appraise

verb

ap·​praise ə-ˈprāz 

appraised; appraising

1

: to set a value on

2

: to judge how good someone or something is

appraisement

-mənt 

noun

appraiser noun

Legal Definition

appraise

transitive verb

ap·​praise ə-ˈprāz 

appraised; appraising

: to estimate the value of : make an appraisal of

appraiser noun