admire

verb

ad·​mire əd-ˈmī(-ə)r How to pronounce admire (audio)
admired; admiring

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
admirer noun
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 The American grocery stores that Asian business executives admired owe influence to the agricultural and retail innovations of farmers and grocers in Southern California, where some of the nation’s first market chains were born. Frank Shyong, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 What that leaves, mostly, is a chance to admire the flamboyant performances, which, in the elder-statesperson division, including a supporting part for Carol Burnett and fleeting opportunity for Laura Dern to play scenes with her dad, Bruce Dern. Brian Lowry, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for admire 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'admire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of admire was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near admire

Cite this Entry

“Admire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/admire. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

admire

verb
ad·​mire əd-ˈmī(ə)r How to pronounce admire (audio)
admired; admiring
1
: to look at with admiration
admire the scenery
2
: to have high regard for
admired her courage
admirer
-ˈmīr-ər
noun
Etymology

from early French admirer "to marvel at," from Latin admirari (same meaning), from ad- "at" and mirari "to wonder" — related to miracle

More from Merriam-Webster on admire

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