esteem

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

• 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

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

Both companies have long been esteemed for their practices in ethical aquaculture. —Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026

In Britain between the 1940s and the 1980s, university professors, especially those from Oxford and Cambridge, were esteemed not merely for their specialist knowledge or pedagogical value but for their wider contribution to civic life. —Tim Bouverie, Air Mail, 30 May 2026

Both had esteemed lives off the track, as well. —Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 20 May 2026

Kokin was a name repeated often throughout the event, as was esteemed Upper East Side milliner Suzanne, who was also in attendance. —Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 7 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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