admire

verb

ad·mire | \ əd-ˈmī(-ə)r

admired; admiring

Definition of admire

transitive verb

1 : to feel respect and approval for (someone or something) : to regard with admiration They all admired her courage.

2 archaic : to marvel at

intransitive verb

dialect : to like very much … I would admire to know why not …— A. H. Lewis

Other Words from admire Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about admire

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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

He is enormously respected and admired both by his colleagues across the company and the talented people who make our shows. — Michael O'connell, The Hollywood Reporter, "AMC Merges Studio and Networks Group, David Madden Stepping Down," 14 Aug. 2019 Visitors to our city for the 2028 Games will admire our beaches. — Los Angeles Times, "Column: Homeless crisis could be the Fukushima of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics," 12 Aug. 2019 Jesse Schramm, a dairy farmer from Garnavillo, was thrilled as the Castros stopped by to admire her cows a few hours ahead of a beauty competition for 1-year-olds. — Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, "Julián Castro works the Iowa State Fair, issues 'plan to disarm hate' after El Paso rampage," 9 Aug. 2019 Roosevelt did not want to attack Willkie; the president admired the Republican liberal. — John M. Murphy, The Conversation, "The rhetorical trick Trump used on the ‘Squad’ and how it could affect the vote," 30 July 2019 Aside from the deserved media-frenzy surrounding Kane's wonder strike, there was a lot to admire about the performance, notably the impact of the young platers like Troy Parrott. — SI.com, "Tottenham vs Manchester United Preview: Where to Watch, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News," 23 July 2019 Simenon, one of the best-selling authors in the modern history of letters, wildly prolific and wildly admired by so many other famous writers, is not well known among serious readers here. — Vince Passaro, Harper's magazine, "Maigret All Day," 22 July 2019 Are there any other artists you admire who are using extraterrestrial and space mission inspirations in their work? — Anna Goldwater Alexander, WIRED, "Photographer Dan Winters on His Apollo Obsession," 16 July 2019 Others prefer to talk about how much their late friend admired them. — Judith Martin, The Mercury News, "Miss Manners: When funerals turn into entertainment," 15 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'admire.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for admire

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.

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