admirable
Americanadjective
-
worthy of admiration; inspiring approval, reverence, or affection.
- Synonyms:
- praiseworthy, estimable
- Antonyms:
- reprehensible, disreputable, unworthy
-
excellent; first-rate.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of admirable
From the Latin word admīrābilis, dating back to 1590–1600. See admire, -able
Explanation
Someone who deserves your admiration can be described as admirable. Your friend who saves homeless kittens in his spare time? An admirable person. An action can be admirable, like when you stop to help someone who's slipped and fallen on an icy sidewalk. A person can also be admirable, like your uncle who works building schools in Sri Lanka. If you admire someone for a good reason, that makes them admirable, or deserving of your respect and admiration. When you pronounce admirable, you stress the first syllable, ad, unlike admire, which has the emphasis on the last syllable, mire.
Vocabulary lists containing admirable
Positive Words to Describe People, List 1
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 6
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"The Man in the Water" by Roger Rosenblatt
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Admirable though Mr. Lynn’s dedication to resurrecting Wilder’s unfinished work may be, the production affirms what Wilder seems to have deduced about the play: that he could never quite realize his ambitions for it.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
Admirable and successful, they expected much from their bookish son.
From Washington Post • Oct. 20, 2022
Admirable and hopeful as this notion is, kumbaya and consensus can be distant cousins, and the crude perspectives exposed on the recording could serve to further divide rather than unite.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 15, 2022
Admirable too is his willingness to take on a man seven inches taller, with a sizable reach advantage.
From BBC • Dec. 18, 2020
“An Admirable Crichton!” murmured Vivian Darnley, with a rather hackneyed sneer.
From Checkmate by Le Fanu, Joseph Sheridan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
