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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quasi-admireverb
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admiringadjective
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admiringlyadverb
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unadmiredadjective
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admirernoun
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preadmireverb (used with object)
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have admiredperfect
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has admiredperfect 3rd person singular
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has been admiringperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are admiringprogressive
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have been admiringperfect progressive
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am admiringprogressive 1st person singular
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admiressingular 3rd person
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admiringparticiple
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is admiringprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had admiredperfect
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had been admiringperfect progressive
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was admiringprogressive singular
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admiredparticiple
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admiredsimple
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were admiringprogressive plural
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.
JG: I admire that the French national team is staying at the Four Seasons in Boston for a month.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
If you’re not a fan of cars, there’s little to admire about the character design.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
I’m not one for vehicular envy, but while traveling a few weeks back, I couldn’t help but admire another man’s rickety Nissan Altima.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
There was plenty to admire in how Dean revived England, though.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
“I admire the activity of your benevolence,” observed Mary, “but every impulse of feeling should be guided by reason; and, in my opinion, exertion should always be in proportion to what is required.”
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
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.
