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

Sabrina is no Dolly, which isn’t a knock but a comment on the impossibility of any new artist ever enjoying the level of admiration and adoration that Parton did for most of her life. — David Kamp, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026

Rapper Eminem expressed his admiration and sorrow at never getting to meet her. — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

In an exclusive statement sent to WWD, Hall expressed her admiration for the award-winning makeup artist and the creative behind the campaign. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026

Even those who did not know Parton personally felt the loss, with Sarah Jessica Parker expressing her admiration for the multi-hyphenate. — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Aug. 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