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

By most accounts, Smith did an admirable job in his first season, leading the Bobcats to an 8-4 record with wins in five of their last six games to close out the season and reach bowl eligibility. —Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025

Warfare Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is an admirable attempt to counter the truism that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie — that all war movies, however gruesome or wrenching, effectively (and often unwittingly) wind up glamorizing combat to some degree. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025

The market’s attempt to discern relative winners and losers, rather than indiscriminately reward every company involved, is an admirable, necessary exercise. —Michael Santoli, CNBC, 29 Nov. 2025

The formerly enslaved took the promise of emancipation to create an admirable lifestyle of excellence through the rearing of horses. —James Edward Mills, Outside, 25 Nov. 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