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

The company sees India as a potential next frontier thanks to its population size, growing middle class and cultural admiration for celebrities, which plays right into Boxbollen’s marketing strategy. — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 30 July 2026

In those circles, producing shocking or violent content can bring attention, admiration and status. — Larry Magid, Mercury News, 30 July 2026

What has driven me is a genuine admiration and pure curiosity to learn more about the group and individual family members consisting of it. — Yuri Shima, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Whether driven by admiration or nostalgia for his first spell, the club’s fans flooded the comments section welcoming back their hero. — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 24 July 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