appreciate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to be grateful or thankful for.
They appreciated his thoughtfulness.
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to value or regard highly; place a high estimate on.
to appreciate good wine.
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to be fully conscious of; be aware of; detect.
to appreciate the dangers of a situation.
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to raise in value.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to feel thankful or grateful for
to appreciate a favour
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(may take a clause as object) to take full or sufficient account of
to appreciate a problem
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to value highly
to appreciate Shakespeare
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(usually intr) to raise or increase in value
Usage
What are other ways to say appreciate? To appreciate something is to value or regard it highly. How is appreciate different from esteem, value, and prize? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
- appreciatingly adverb
- appreciator noun
- self-appreciating adjective
- unappreciating adjective
Etymology
Origin of appreciate
First recorded in 1645–55; from Medieval Latin appreciātus “valued, appraised,” from Late Latin appretiātus, past participle of appretiāre “to appraise” (equivalent to Latin ap- ap- 1 + preti(um) price + -ātus -ate 1 )
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.
"Every year they carry out temporary repairs and I do appreciate they are spending a lot of money but it gets worse and worse," Byatt said.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
I would appreciate your advice on whether, given my current family situation, I can plan to exit corporate life.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026
“Whether he was campaigning or even if he was just still a musician, it’s nice either way. I appreciate it. He took time out of his schedule to do this,” Jorge Saenz said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
“We appreciate the passion and engagement from the Barbie community,” said a spokesperson from Mischief Management.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
“You’re trying to protect me. I do appreciate that, Jakob. I will accept whatever the outcome is once we know the truth. Tell me about the code.”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
