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esteem

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb esteem contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of esteem are admire, regard, and respect. While all these words mean "to recognize the worth of a person or thing," esteem implies greater warmth of feeling accompanying a high valuation.

no citizen of the town was more highly esteemed

When is admire a more appropriate choice than esteem?

The words admire and esteem can be used in similar contexts, but admire suggests usually enthusiastic appreciation and often deep affection.

a friend that I truly admire

When is it sensible to use regard instead of esteem?

Although the words regard and esteem have much in common, regard is a general term that is usually qualified.

he is highly regarded in the profession

Where would respect be a reasonable alternative to esteem?

In some situations, the words respect and esteem are roughly equivalent. However, respect implies a considered evaluation or estimation.

after many years they came to respect her views

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of esteem
Noun
CFOs also viewed them favorably, with 72% ranking them in good esteem. Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025 For a town of only 40,000 people, Annapolis boasts a proud resume: Colonial past, military esteem, world-class sailing. Charles Babington, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Verb
Where could esteem, a sense of self-worth, come from? Geoff Dyer, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025 Still Irish Whiskey is a unique collaboration between two historic Irish families: the Mitchells, renowned Dublin wine and whiskey merchants, and the Bartons, esteemed Bordeaux winemakers of Château Léoville Barton. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for esteem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for esteem
Noun
  • TikTok users couldn't get enough of the wholesome moment, flooding the comments with admiration—and relatable stories.
    Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
  • Noting that Cyrus had traveled with the family on vacation, The Terminator star reiterated his admiration for the musician.
    Rachel McRady, People.com, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • The Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, did not respond directly to a question from The Associated Press regarding its plans for Abrego Garcia.
    BEN FINLEY, Arkansas Online, 28 June 2025
  • The Padres have been in touch with the Tigers regarding the treatment plan and recovery for outfielder Parker Meadows, who had a nerve issue pop up early in spring training and did not make his season debut until the first week of June.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • Students’ sense that they are accepted, respected, and included can help to establish the classroom as a psychologically safe space for social and cognitive inquiry, experimentation, and growth.
    Linda Darling-Hammond, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • Ruth’s swings of emotion and identity are multitudes to be uncovered and respected.
    Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • While the unified front welcoming Trump to The Hague may prioritize maintaining the NATO alliance, 23 of the 32 member countries have reached the 2% of GDP spending threshold—and experts think some will reach 5% by or before 2035.
    Nino Paoli, Fortune, 25 June 2025
  • And there are some who have been thinking that pretty well describes opening a Mexican restaurant on Kavanaugh Boulevard in Little Rock’s Pulaski Heights, along a strip in which there are already two similar establishments (Heights Taco & Tamale and Baja Grill).
    Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • That’s because stock is only taxed when it’s sold, and not on its appreciation in value; activists like the protesters in Venice this week want that to change.
    Phoebe Liu, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • Montano expressed appreciation for $5 million worth of federal grants that will be used to improve local intersections and school zones.
    Stephanie Lam, Mercury News, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Some consider Olean to be in the upper most region of Appalachia, a Rustbelt stereotype that— since 1974, the year of the shooting, has seen its population dwindle from 18,600 to 14,000.
    Sally Ventura June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
  • That covert intervention brought something few in Washington had considered: decades of suppression of anyone deemed as an opponent of the Shah’s brutal regime.
    Robert Polner, New York Daily News, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • This is rare among American art museums and reinforces a commitment to RISD students and other creatives who want to learn from the pieces, not simply admire them.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
  • The reaction online to the viral clip has been mixed—confused for some, admiring for others.
    Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • Emerging markets like the Middle East offer high growth and less competition, Zhu believes.
    Russell Flannery, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
  • Albertus believes that the world is on the threshold of a new global struggle for land.
    Michael Albertus, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Esteem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/esteem. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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