admire

verb

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

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

Synonyms

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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
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.
But when Rogen wasn’t being interrupted by his admiring bro-fans, who were legion — one wore toe shoes and a Lil Dicky shirt; another cried — Amoeba was, however, a perfect place to dig through hundreds of vinyl soundtracks. — Austin Considine, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025 There are plenty of other works up here worth admiring here, too: a ca. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 26 Mar. 2025 While young Americans will always admire professional athletes, they can also be inspired by STEM pioneers like Grace Hopper and Steve Jobs. — Chris Moore, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025 His friend and medical partner, Dr. Robert Patton, admired him greatly. — Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for admire

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

Rhymes for admire

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Browse Nearby Words

admirative
admire
admiring
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Admire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/admire. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

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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

Nglish: Translation of admire for Spanish Speakers

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