admiring

adjective

ad·​mir·​ing əd-ˈmī-riŋ 

: feeling or showing esteem and admiration

welcomed by an admiring crowd

an admiring look/glance

"Very sweet and angelic of you," said Stephen, looking at her with an admiring smile.

—George Eliot

admiringly adverb

spoke admiringly of her talents

And when it was over, Jerry West walked into the Celtic locker room and said admiringly, "Bird was always two thoughts ahead of everyone else."

—Bob Ryan

Synonyms

• favorable
• positive
• good
• appreciative
• approving

Examples of admiring in a Sentence

the smartly dressed couple drew admiring glances

Recent Examples on the Web

The back half of the album skews less admiring and more playful. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Feb. 2025

Viewed with this admiring, ominous reserve, the wilds and waters of Sukkwan Island remain unknowable to the last. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 25 Jan. 2025

Do not so much as send a chastely admiring note—you’ll get wound up waiting for a response. —James Parker, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025

The book was, beneath its judicious and even-handed surface, biased against Didion to an outrageous degree, and the book was, behind its admiring posture toward her, violent toward her. —Lili Anolik, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of admire

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for admiring

• acquiring
• aspiring
• conspiring
• enquiring
• expiring
• inspiring
• perspiring
• rehiring
• retiring
• untiring
• firing
• hiring