admire

[ ad-mahyuhr ]
See synonyms for: admireadmiredadmiresadmiring on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),ad·mired, ad·mir·ing.
  1. to regard with wonder, pleasure, or approval.

  2. to regard with wonder or surprise (usually used ironically or sarcastically): I admire your audacity.

verb (used without object),ad·mired, ad·mir·ing.
  1. to feel or express admiration.

  2. Dialect. to take pleasure; like or desire: I would admire to go.

Idioms about admire

  1. be admiring of, Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. to admire: He's admiring of his brother's farm.

Origin of admire

1
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin admīrārī, equivalent to ad- ad- + mīrārī (in Medieval Latin mīrāre ) “to wonder at, admire”

Other words for admire

Opposites for admire

Other words from admire

  • ad·mir·er, noun
  • pre·ad·mire, verb (used with object), pre·ad·mired, pre·ad·mir·ing.
  • qua·si-ad·mire, verb, qua·si-ad·mired, qua·si-ad·mir·ing.
  • un·ad·mired, adjective

Words Nearby admire

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use admire in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for admire

admire

/ (ədˈmaɪə) /


verb(tr)
  1. to regard with esteem, respect, approval, or pleased surprise

  2. archaic to wonder at

Origin of admire

1
C16: from Latin admīrāri to wonder at, from ad- to, at + mīrāri to wonder, from mīrus wonderful

Derived forms of admire

  • admirer, noun
  • admiring, adjective
  • admiringly, adverb

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