admire
Americanverb (used with object)
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admires,
present (3rd person singular)
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admired,
past participle, past
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admiring
present participle
verb (used without object)
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admires,
present (3rd person singular)
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admired,
past participle, past
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admiring
present participle
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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:
“We’re both fiery, fiery competitors and we want to win and it’s one of the things I really admire about her game,” Clark told the Associated Press in an interview published Wednesday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
We should be hesitant to place halos around the heads of people we admire, just as we shouldn’t totally condemn those with whom we disagree.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
The series never asked us to admire chefs simply because they were famous.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
His work without the ball is another reason Liverpool's recruitment team are understood to admire him.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Penelope half hoped he would notice and perhaps even admire the jaunty, galloping rhythm of the words, but he simply counted out the money and went back to his budgets.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Brydon also spoke about another writing duo he admires - his fellow Gavin and Stacey cast mates Ruth Jones and James Corden.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
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
She descends the stairs and admires the statue I've created.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Cohn’s father, Alfred, was a lawyer and appellate judge much admired in the civic-ethnic-commercial circles that, until recently, tended to dominate New York’s business, legal and political circles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
His work without the ball is another reason Liverpool's recruitment team admired him.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
“You see people you care about and have always admired starting to get damaged and broken,” Dychtwald said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026
The Dutch -- with their dikes, dams and vast waterworks--have long been admired for their tenacity in the face of flood risks.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
Elizabeth’s mind was too full for conversation, but she saw and admired every remarkable spot and point of view.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
But take a step back and consider the finished garment with the grace it deserves, and chances are, you’ll find something worth admiring.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026
He said it is a "really great honor to have my name listed after all those great mathematicians I've always been admiring".
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
But I can’t help admiring Refn’s commitment to the bit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
“It’s not going to get much better than that,” Antinone said, admiring the water’s crystal appearance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
One day Jake was bopping down the freshly painted halls of Riverview Middle School, admiring the rows of shiny new lockers.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
