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

• 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

One sees admirable narrative drive in writers like Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Joseph Conrad, who did their work without the benefit of motion pictures, and as a result don’t have the same clarity of vision. —Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025

Most people agree that the idea behind the statue is admirable, but the execution didn’t exactly work out the way it was probably intended. —Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 23 Oct. 2025

Obsidian Entertainment has done an admirable job avoiding those pitfalls in its work, and 2019’s The Outer Worlds is a great example. —Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025

His words hint at an admirable amount of awareness. —Alec Lewis, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025

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