admire

verb

ad·mire əd-ˈmī(-ə)r

admired; admiring

Synonyms of admire next

transitive verb

: to feel respect and approval for (someone or something) : to regard with admiration

They all admired her courage.

archaic : to marvel at

intransitive verb

dialect : to like very much

… I would admire to know why not …—

A. H. Lewis

admirer noun

Choose the Right Synonym for admire

regard, respect, esteem, admire mean to recognize the worth of a person or thing.

regard is a general term that is usually qualified.

he is highly regarded in the profession

respect implies a considered evaluation or estimation.

after many years they came to respect her views

esteem implies greater warmth of feeling accompanying a high valuation.

no citizen of the town was more highly esteemed

admire suggests usually enthusiastic appreciation and often deep affection.

a friend that I truly admire

Examples of admire in a Sentence

We gazed out the window and admired the scenery. I admire the way you handled such a touchy situation.

Recent Examples on the Web The collaboration is about celebrating the important role that pollinators play in ensuring biodiversity, but also to admire the beauty and mystery of the pollination act itself. —

Grace Banks, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 The path lets walkers traverse Switzer and Juniper canyons, located within South Park, as well as explore the neighborhood and admire its historical homes. —

Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Nov. 2023 Over 300 works of art adorn the walls, and there are plenty of nooks, crannies, and lounges from which to admire them all. —

Todd Plummer, Vogue, 24 Nov. 2023 Instead, this massive 6.5-quart nonstick ceramic fry pan lives on top of her induction range where it can be properly admired. —

Carina Finn, Bon Appétit, 24 Nov. 2023 She’s admired by her husband’s co-stars Echo was not just an integral part of the making of Everything Everywhere All At Once for her translation, but also for her belief in the success of the film. —

Kaitlin Stevens, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023 Rosenthal, who admired the punchy service journalism of Clay Felker’s New York magazine, saw that combining that approach with the news report could build a breakfast-table-to-armchair empire: a one-stop shop for everything a reader could want from the newsstand. —

Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2023 However, at high tide, water covers the pool wall—be sure to visit at low tide to admire them at their best. —

Freya Bromley, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Nov. 2023 Compared to the previous looks Schafer has worn—like her silver Alexander McQueen look just earlier this week—Allen also admired how the Marni creation was shorter and sweeter. —

Christian Allaire, Vogue, 16 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'admire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French admirer, Latinization of amirer "to make (little or much) of," borrowed from Latin admīrārī, ammīrārī "to regard with wonder, show esteem for," from ad- ad- + mīrārī "to be surprised, look with wonder at," derivative of mīrus, "remarkable, amazing," of uncertain origin

Note: Regarding etymology of Latin mīrus see note at smile entry 1.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler

The first known use of admire was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century