admire
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
-
to feel or express admiration.
-
Dialect. to take pleasure; like or desire.
I would admire to go.
idioms
verb
-
to regard with esteem, respect, approval, or pleased surprise
-
archaic to wonder at
Other Word Forms
- admirer noun
- admiring adjective
- admiringly adverb
- preadmire verb (used with object)
- quasi-admire verb
- unadmired adjective
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”
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.
When reporters asked Boebert why she had sent the photo, the congresswoman offered this gem: “Well, I mean I really admired her blue suit. So I wanted to capture that for everyone.”
From Salon
“Every single song she’s released captures specific emotions,” Sheeran says admiringly of Moroney, adding that he and his family have kept her first two albums on repeat in their house.
From Los Angeles Times
I was still standing there admiring my work when, from the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a movement in the branches of a sycamore tree.
From Literature
I stood and admired the fruits of my labor.
From Literature
I admire his sense of commitment, but he should not be held hostage by his success.
From MarketWatch
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.
