admire
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to feel or express admiration.
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Dialect. to take pleasure; like or desire.
I would admire to go.
idioms
verb
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to regard with esteem, respect, approval, or pleased surprise
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archaic to wonder at
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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admirernoun
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quasi-admireverb
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preadmireverb (used with object)
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admiringadjective
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unadmiredadjective
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admiringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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admiresimple
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admiressimple
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have admiredperfect
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has admiredperfect
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am admiringprogressive
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are admiringprogressive
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is admiringprogressive
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have been admiringperfect progressive
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has been admiringperfect progressive
Past
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admiredsimple
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had admiredperfect
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was admiringprogressive
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were admiringprogressive
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had been admiringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of admire
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin admīrārī, equivalent to ad- ad- + mīrārī (in Medieval Latin mīrāre ) “to wonder at, admire”
Explanation
If you hold someone in high esteem or look up to someone, you admire that person. If you ask four-year-olds who they most admire, they are likely to list their mom, dad, and grandparents — or superheroes and comic book characters. The verb admire also means to look at with wonder and pleasure. She stood on the balcony of her hotel for a long time, simply to admire the view of the ocean and the surf as it crashed against the rocks below. I admire the way she volunteers to help at the school and with other charities because she is willing to give her time to good causes.
Vocabulary lists containing admire
"Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." and "I Have a Dream"
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"A Natural Balance" and "In My Dreams"
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Lyrics from "American Pie" by Don McLean
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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.
See Examples For:
They lean on each other and they admire each other so much.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
Reasonable lawyers can admire that analysis without agreeing with where it ends.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
In terms of actual names Leeds are chasing, it is difficult to discern at this stage, but I know they admire the Czech player Ladislav Krejci.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
I don’t linger but admire the genius of it, grab a fist of Rioja Alta and head to the rooftop lounge for a sunset thought amid stunning views of the city.
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026
Lady Constance tipped her head from one side to the other in front of her dressing-room mirror, the better to admire the elaborate chapeau that she had just placed upon her upswept curls.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
Kelly said she admires Swift and Kelce for donating to charity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
He admires and respects his dad, he says, but sometimes hearing the same advice from other entrepreneurs hits differently.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
Teju said she supported Bukayo Saka - and his partner Tolami Benson, whose outfits she admires.
From BBC ● May 31, 2026
The low-budget film stars Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette as a man who makes a sinister bargain to win the affections of the woman he admires -- and must bear the consequences.
From Barron's ● May 17, 2026
He admires her, even resents her a little, for having moved to another country and made a separate life.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Both younger and older Emma are fiercely admired but close themselves off to love.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
Disraeli, who admired Lord Byron and cut a similarly romantic figure, began as a novelist whose financial speculations drove him nearly into disgrace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
They admired the architecture and the infinity screen and the way the canopy kept things cool.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
"I admired the bravery of Karolina Muchova, she earned the win, she took the bull by the horns and went for it," said Croft.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Pong had been so excited that day, even though he hadn't dreamed that he'd actually get the chance to tell the Governor how much he admired him.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
And social media brimmed with foreign fans admiring the US way of life.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
My colleague Alex Kirshner wrote about @FreddyLA7, a German X user visiting the U.S. for the tournament whose admiring, travelogue-style posts about Taco Bell, state parks, and other Americana are going viral.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
While Wednesday night's victory over Rayo may help keep players satisfied with Europa League football now secured for next season, their triumph will inevitably attract more admiring glances at their players.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
“I want to say it was the happiest day of my life, but I have two children,” said Debra Schiff, 69, a bird-watcher, while admiring a turtle at the lagoon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026
"Hi, it's me. Sharon's boy, David. I was just in the kitchen admiring your collection of ceramic toads."
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
