appreciate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
appreciates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
appreciated,
past participle, past
-
appreciating
present participle
-
to be grateful or thankful for.
They appreciated his thoughtfulness.
-
to value or regard highly; place a high estimate on.
to appreciate good wine.
-
to be fully conscious of; be aware of; detect.
to appreciate the dangers of a situation.
-
to raise in value.
verb (used without object)
-
appreciates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
appreciated,
past participle, past
-
appreciating
present participle
verb
-
to feel thankful or grateful for
to appreciate a favour
-
(may take a clause as object) to take full or sufficient account of
to appreciate a problem
-
to value highly
to appreciate Shakespeare
-
(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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
appreciatesimple
-
appreciatessimple
-
have appreciatedperfect
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has appreciatedperfect
-
am appreciatingprogressive
-
are appreciatingprogressive
-
is appreciatingprogressive
-
have been appreciatingperfect progressive
-
has been appreciatingperfect progressive
Past
-
appreciatedsimple
-
had appreciatedperfect
-
was appreciatingprogressive
-
were appreciatingprogressive
-
had been appreciatingperfect progressive
Future
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 )
Explanation
If you appreciate something, you recognize its value. We can all appreciate how refreshing cold lemonade is on a sweltering summer day. The oldest meaning of appreciate is "to know the worth of something": "The parolee appreciated his newfound freedom." A related sense is "to be grateful for something," but this usage can sound wordy. Instead of "I would appreciate your sending me more information," consider: "Please send me more information." The word can also be used (without a direct object) to mean "to rise in worth": "The vintage Corvette would appreciate in value over the years."
Vocabulary lists containing appreciate
List 4
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"Icarus's Flight," Vocabulary from the poem
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Because of Winn-Dixie
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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:
The majority’s approach to aesthetic injury could make it more difficult for historic-preservation organizations to establish standing when their members regularly visit and appreciate a building or landmark threatened by government action.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
“I can appreciate what Bessent is trying to do — slow the ascent,” Samana said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
And then Talia takes a moment to appreciate Paul Baker as her little brother’s husband.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
Following an inquest, coroner Anita Bhardwaj warned: "The general public do not appreciate the life-threatening risks involved with having lithium-ion batteries, from electronic bikes in this case, stored in domestic properties."
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Standing on Earth, it’s difficult to appreciate its movement.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
The franc’s status as a safe-haven currency means it appreciates at times of geopolitical turmoil, which pushes down the price of imported products and services.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
He acknowledges that there are some well-established societal downsides to overuse of Meta’s social-media, especially among young people, but he appreciates “at least there’s no cloud in their revenue.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
Nonetheless, Baker appreciates what it would mean for a Black manager to finally be elected to the Hall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Of course, from the point of view of anyone who appreciates the sport and what it's about, that's not ideal.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Everyone becomes happy and appreciates the moon in their own special way.
From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah
He appreciated the efficiency and sleek forms of luxury liners, which were as modern as the most functional contemporary building.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
As Freeman went through his big-league firsts, he appreciated having Heyward, who’d already checked them off for himself, by his side.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Those moves are not being appreciated enough by the market, in his view.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
A freelancer by day, I’d appreciated teaching’s miraculous equation: I did my job, they paid me the first of every month.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
The only thing I appreciated about pixies was that their very existence gave me hope that there was still gold in The Mountain.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
She said the scale, height, and mass of the new ballroom would impair her aesthetic, cultural, and historical interests in viewing and appreciating the White House.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
“Just look at her on that camel, she was having a blast and still appreciating good food.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
"My dad loved movies and he was a huge advocate for us watching and appreciating art," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Luxury home prices are appreciating more rapidly than more modestly priced homes, indicating strong demand from well-resourced buyers.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
I thought he was appreciating the special light-up quality of my shoes, until he added, “You have grass growing on your legs.”
From "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan
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.
