esteem

1 of 2

noun

es·​teem i-ˈstēm 

1

: the regard in which one is held

especially : high regard

the esteem we all feel for her

2

archaic : worth, value

3

archaic : opinion, judgment

esteem

2 of 2

verb

esteemed; esteeming; esteems

transitive verb

1

: to set a high value on : regard highly and prize accordingly

an esteemed guest

2

a

: to view as : consider

esteem it a privilege

b

: think, believe

3

archaic : appraise

Synonyms of esteem

Noun

• admiration
• respect
• appreciation
• regard

Verb

• regard
• consider

Choose the Right Synonym for esteem

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 esteem in a Sentence

Noun

She has won esteem for her work with cancer patients.

an athlete who is held in great esteem by her peers

Verb

I had esteemed the whole affair to be a colossal waste of time.

although the works of the Impressionist painters are esteemed today, they met with scorn when they were introduced

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

By just about any measure this spring, only the big-bucks Dodgers and Blue Jays are held in higher esteem than the Mariners, whose payroll is lighter than the Rangers’. —Kevin Sherrington mar. 6, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026

Dealing with these inevitable changes can take a toll on self esteem and perhaps sway you to turn to pricey treatments and expensive skincare. —Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2026

Verb

The Amish belief system privileges the notion that when individuals highly esteem certain innovations, religious purity may erode. —Cory Anderson, STAT, 6 Mar. 2026

Air France and esteemed Five-Star chef Daniel Boulud proved that airplane food could be elevated in more ways than one. —Spencer Whaley, Forbes.com, 27 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English estemen to estimate, from Anglo-French estimer, from Latin aestimare

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing esteem

• self-esteem

Rhymes for esteem

• abeam
• airstream
• bloodstream
• daydream
• downstream
• extreme
• grapheme
• hakim
• hornbeam
• lexeme
• mainstream
• midstream

Kids Definition

esteem

1 of 2 noun

es·​teem is-ˈtēm 

: the degree of respect or liking one has for something or someone

especially : a very favorable opinion

esteem

2 of 2 verb

1

: to think of in a particular way : consider

esteem it a privilege

2

: to think very highly or favorably of