admire
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to feel or express admiration.
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Dialect. to take pleasure; like or desire.
I would admire to go.
idioms
verb
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to regard with esteem, respect, approval, or pleased surprise
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archaic to wonder at
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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admirernoun
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quasi-admireverb
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preadmireverb (used with object)
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admiringadjective
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unadmiredadjective
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admiringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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admiresimple
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admiressimple
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have admiredperfect
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has admiredperfect
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am admiringprogressive
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are admiringprogressive
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is admiringprogressive
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have been admiringperfect progressive
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has been admiringperfect progressive
Past
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admiredsimple
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had admiredperfect
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was admiringprogressive
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were admiringprogressive
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had been admiringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of admire
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin admīrārī, equivalent to ad- ad- + mīrārī (in Medieval Latin mīrāre ) “to wonder at, admire”
Explanation
If you hold someone in high esteem or look up to someone, you admire that person. If you ask four-year-olds who they most admire, they are likely to list their mom, dad, and grandparents — or superheroes and comic book characters. The verb admire also means to look at with wonder and pleasure. She stood on the balcony of her hotel for a long time, simply to admire the view of the ocean and the surf as it crashed against the rocks below. I admire the way she volunteers to help at the school and with other charities because she is willing to give her time to good causes.
Vocabulary lists containing admire
"Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." and "I Have a Dream"
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"A Natural Balance" and "In My Dreams"
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Lyrics from "American Pie" by Don McLean
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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:
A lot of people I trust and admire work tirelessly to make a difference on Skid Row, and they’re always eager to share the success stories of those who move through and move on.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
He told BBC Scotland News: "I admire and respect the quality within Scottish agriculture but I've also got to be mindful for the genuine hardship that families are facing in delivering an affordable shop."
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Reasonable lawyers can admire that analysis without agreeing with where it ends.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
I don’t linger but admire the genius of it, grab a fist of Rioja Alta and head to the rooftop lounge for a sunset thought amid stunning views of the city.
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026
I rap my knuckles on it and admire the clang.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
Macron invited him to a formal dinner to be held at the one place Trump admires most in the world, other than Mar-a-Lago and Trump Tower: the Palace of Versailles.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026
He admires and respects his dad, he says, but sometimes hearing the same advice from other entrepreneurs hits differently.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
Quiñones commented, “Journalism is stronger because of your voice, your courage and your story-telling, Cecilia,” and Ramos wrote in Spanish that he respects and admires her.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
The low-budget film stars Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette as a man who makes a sinister bargain to win the affections of the woman he admires -- and must bear the consequences.
From Barron's ● May 17, 2026
Through the window he admires the darkening sapphire sky.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
“I’ve admired Grupo Niche for years,” Peluso said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
They admired the architecture and the infinity screen and the way the canopy kept things cool.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
"I admired the bravery of Karolina Muchova, she earned the win, she took the bull by the horns and went for it," said Croft.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Inside Dette Flies, a 98-year-old fishing shop, I admired cases filled with flies that sounded like secret-service code names: Green Ghost, Mickey Finn, Pink Lady.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
These factors—cultural, technological, conceptual, political—were absent in China, and hence the Chinese admired clockwork but had no use for it.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
My colleague Alex Kirshner wrote about @FreddyLA7, a German X user visiting the U.S. for the tournament whose admiring, travelogue-style posts about Taco Bell, state parks, and other Americana are going viral.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
"I wanted to see what the mystery was about," said Nick Frey, a 28-year-old US tourist admiring the fortress.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
While Wednesday night's victory over Rayo may help keep players satisfied with Europa League football now secured for next season, their triumph will inevitably attract more admiring glances at their players.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
Elkann started talking to the duo after admiring their work on the Apple Watch, which he called “probably the most successful example” of an analog product being reinvented digitally.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
Roaming among the trees, admiring the verdure, he saw a crowd of daisies clustered above him, like gigantic stars, and decided to cut one down and present his wife with a pretty parasol.
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
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.
