appraise
Americanverb (used with object)
-
appraises,
present (3rd person singular)
-
appraised,
past participle, past
-
appraising
present participle
-
to estimate the monetary value of; determine the worth of; assess.
We had an expert appraise the house before we bought it.
-
to estimate the nature, quality, importance, etc..
He tried to appraise the poetry of John Updike.
verb
-
to assess the worth, value, or quality of
-
to make a valuation of, as for taxation purposes
Usage
Appraise is sometimes wrongly used where apprise is meant: they had been apprised ( not appraised ) of my arrival
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
appraisernoun
-
misappraiseverb (used with object)
-
overappraiseverb (used with object)
-
reappraiseverb (used with object)
-
appraisableadjective
-
appraisiveadjective
-
unappraisedadjective
-
appraisinglyadverb
-
appraisivelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
appraisesimple
-
appraisessimple
-
have appraisedperfect
-
has appraisedperfect
-
am appraisingprogressive
-
are appraisingprogressive
-
is appraisingprogressive
-
have been appraisingperfect progressive
-
has been appraisingperfect progressive
Past
-
appraisedsimple
-
had appraisedperfect
-
was appraisingprogressive
-
were appraisingprogressive
-
had been appraisingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of appraise
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English apraysen “to set a value on”; probably equivalent to a conflation of apprize 1 and praise (with the sense of prize 2 )
Explanation
When you buy a house someone will need to appraise its value before you can get a mortgage. To appraise something is to figure out its worth in the marketplace, on the field, or in the world of ideas. To appraise the value of a friendship is difficult, but to appraise the value of your grandfather’s pocket watch — just go to the pawn shop. The verb appraise comes from the Late Latin word appretiare, which means “value” or “estimate.” You can appraise your chances of marrying royalty, which are probably slim. You can also appraise the value of a quarterback on your fantasy football team by looking at the statistics for his completed passes.
Vocabulary lists containing appraise
Of Mice and Men
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Pearl
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Of Mice and Men"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Ms. de Graaf is similarly skeptical of the question’s usefulness and helpfully describes what she calls “epistemic” rationality: It involves “the way you appraise reality. Maybe you appraise it differently from other people.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
If your husband wants to appraise his children of your estate plan, he can do that.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 10, 2026
He used a meandering conversation and a few hours to get AI to build Sprout Gifts, a gifting registry for kids, and an app to appraise any items via photos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2026
YouTube Recap doesn't just appraise your music tastes, but all those weird cat videos you watched in the middle of the night instead of sleeping.
From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2025
The policeman turned to appraise his prisoner in the backseat.
From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen
Assuming the property appraises at the higher purchase price, the seller would receive about $2,680 more before commissions and other transaction costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The ceramics and glass expert, with Lyon & Turnbull auctioneers in Edinburgh, joined the BBC programme in 2018 as one of the specialists who appraises objects brought in by members of the public.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
“There is a bid/ask spread just like there is for any other traded asset,” explained Trip Brannen, chief financial officer at Coinfully, a company that appraises and purchases coins.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 31, 2025
He appraises the chance of a Buffett deal as good.
From Reuters ● Jul. 15, 2022
There is the self; there is myself, yourself; there is that strange, mysterious life of loneliness which stands, and thinks, and judges, and appraises.
From The world's great sermons, Volume 08 Talmage to Knox Little by Grenville Kleiser
When Gordon Russell from Vero Beach, Fla., had a diamond from Costco appraised, he said that the jeweler thought the stone had come from Tiffany & Co.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
That is leading investors and fund managers to get struggling projects appraised at fair market value.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Looking back, he said it was "quite evident that nobody was fully appraised of the potential hazard that they were exposed to".
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
We plan to sell it to another family member for the appraised value, but that may happen after the six-month time frame.
From MarketWatch ● May 18, 2026
I could see it in the worried glances he gave the sun as it moved across the sky, in the anxious way he appraised every length of pipe or cut of steel.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Still, Mr. Turley observes, the newly independent Americans’ rage “would prove transformative for many framers in appraising the promise and the perils of democratic systems.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
Buffett’s success hinges on his skills as a value investor, “always appraising stocks as fractional-ownership interests in businesses that he planned to hold over the long term,” said the manager of the $23.5 billion fund.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 19, 2025
She wasn't interested to know that Clyde, appraising us from his teeny terrarium, was a near-doppelgänger for the 16 1/2-year-old companion I had lost a few months before.
From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2024
Star, meanwhile, said Mrs Macron had "great talent" when appraising her performance.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2024
She gives you an appraising look instead, like you finding this place reveals something about you.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
