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

There was a strong theme of mutual respect and admiration from the figureheads of Spain and Argentina as the teams enter the final day of preparation before Sunday’s World Cup final. — Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 18 July 2026

Meanwhile, Boston did its part to make visiting fans feel at home, so much so that a mutual admiration society took root during the Tartan Army’s brief takeover of Beantown’s taprooms. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026

Yet Shtilerman, a prolific designer of weapons, has earned admiration across Europe for his role in Ukraine’s defense. — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026

His admiration for Dwyane Wade, and an affinity for warm weather climates, drew him here and produced the Heat’s first championship season in 2006. — Omar Kelly july 16, Miami Herald, 16 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