admirable
Americanadjective
-
worthy of admiration; inspiring approval, reverence, or affection.
- Synonyms:
- praiseworthy, estimable
- Antonyms:
- reprehensible, disreputable, unworthy
-
excellent; first-rate.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of admirable
From the Latin word admīrābilis, dating back to 1590–1600. See admire, -able
Explanation
Someone who deserves your admiration can be described as admirable. Your friend who saves homeless kittens in his spare time? An admirable person. An action can be admirable, like when you stop to help someone who's slipped and fallen on an icy sidewalk. A person can also be admirable, like your uncle who works building schools in Sri Lanka. If you admire someone for a good reason, that makes them admirable, or deserving of your respect and admiration. When you pronounce admirable, you stress the first syllable, ad, unlike admire, which has the emphasis on the last syllable, mire.
Vocabulary lists containing admirable
Positive Words to Describe People, List 1
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 6
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"The Man in the Water" by Roger Rosenblatt
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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.
Admirable though Mr. Lynn’s dedication to resurrecting Wilder’s unfinished work may be, the production affirms what Wilder seems to have deduced about the play: that he could never quite realize his ambitions for it.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
Admirable and successful, they expected much from their bookish son.
From Washington Post • Oct. 20, 2022
Admirable for its total refusal to ingratiate, the movie nurtures an unapologetically hostile vibe that gradually relents alongside Richard’s deterioration.
From New York Times • Aug. 26, 2021
Admirable too is his willingness to take on a man seven inches taller, with a sizable reach advantage.
From BBC • Dec. 18, 2020
Admirable your evocation of the brave and brown and beautiful Peg—of whom I wish I weren't so howlingly deprived.
From The Letters of Henry James, Vol. II by James, Henry
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.
