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Synonyms

appreciate

American

[uh-pree-shee-eyt] / əˈpri ʃiˌeɪt /

verb (used with object)

to be grateful or thankful for.

They appreciated his thoughtfulness.
to value or regard highly; place a high estimate on.

to appreciate good wine.
to be fully conscious of; be aware of; detect.

to appreciate the dangers of a situation.
to raise in value.

verb (used without object)

to increase in value.

Property values appreciated yearly.

appreciate British

/ əˈpriːʃɪˌeɪt, -sɪ- /

verb

to feel thankful or grateful for

to appreciate a favour
(may take a clause as object) to take full or sufficient account of

to appreciate a problem
to value highly

to appreciate Shakespeare
(usually intr) to raise or increase in value

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What are other ways to say appreciate? To appreciate something is to value or regard it highly. How is appreciate different from esteem, value, and prize? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of appreciate

First recorded in 1645–55; from Medieval Latin appreciātus “valued, appraised,” from Late Latin appretiātus, past participle of appretiāre “to appraise” (equivalent to Latin ap- ap- ¹ + preti(um) price + -ātus -ate ¹ )

Explanation

If you appreciate something, you recognize its value. We can all appreciate how refreshing cold lemonade is on a sweltering summer day. The oldest meaning of appreciate is "to know the worth of something": "The parolee appreciated his newfound freedom." A related sense is "to be grateful for something," but this usage can sound wordy. Instead of "I would appreciate your sending me more information," consider: "Please send me more information." The word can also be used (without a direct object) to mean "to rise in worth": "The vintage Corvette would appreciate in value over the years."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing appreciate

List 4

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"Icarus's Flight," Vocabulary from the poem

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Because of Winn-Dixie

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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.

“I appreciate that they go up there with nothing, just a mic and their wits. By comparison, you seem painfully sincere as a songwriter. I like that uncomfortable shift.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

The ads, for a while, encouraged viewers to “call and thank Senator Collins” and “tell her you appreciate all she is doing for Maine.”

From Slate • Jun. 16, 2026

You don’t have to like Mr. Musk to appreciate what he has built.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

I am very grateful to those colleagues who have supported this, and I appreciate how difficult their choices will have been.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

“I appreciate you saying so, but it’s not your fault. That was far from our first go-round.”

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023