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Synonyms

appreciate

American  
[uh-pree-shee-eyt] / əˈpri ʃiˌeɪt /

verb (used with object)

appreciates, present (3rd person singular) appreciated, past participle, past appreciating present participle
  1. to be grateful or thankful for.

    They appreciated his thoughtfulness.

  2. to value or regard highly; place a high estimate on.

    to appreciate good wine.

  3. to be fully conscious of; be aware of; detect.

    to appreciate the dangers of a situation.

  4. to raise in value.


verb (used without object)

appreciates, present (3rd person singular) appreciated, past participle, past appreciating present participle
  1. to increase in value.

    Property values appreciated yearly.

appreciate British  
/ əˈpriːʃɪˌeɪt, -sɪ- /

verb

  1. to feel thankful or grateful for

    to appreciate a favour

  2. (may take a clause as object) to take full or sufficient account of

    to appreciate a problem

  3. to value highly

    to appreciate Shakespeare

  4. (usually intr) to raise or increase in value

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

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."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing appreciate

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.

“I appreciate him being a Mainer from a small town,” said Connor Start, 18, a construction worker from Islesboro.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

And all ‘grown-up Cs’ meant to him was, ‘I’m worried you won’t have people around you who appreciate how great you are.’

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

And so when we started looking into the topic last February, I didn't truly appreciate the scale of what was really going on on our High Streets.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

There’s something incredibly medicinal about khichuri that younger me couldn’t appreciate at the time.

From Salon • Jun. 7, 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

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