appreciate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to be grateful or thankful for.
They appreciated his thoughtfulness.
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to value or regard highly; place a high estimate on.
to appreciate good wine.
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to be fully conscious of; be aware of; detect.
to appreciate the dangers of a situation.
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to raise in value.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to feel thankful or grateful for
to appreciate a favour
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(may take a clause as object) to take full or sufficient account of
to appreciate a problem
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to value highly
to appreciate Shakespeare
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(usually intr) to raise or increase in value
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
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."
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.
One only has to look at last season's final to appreciate how quickly Luis Enrique's PSG side can blow teams away.
From BBC • May 6, 2026
I enjoyed Ms. Javor’s op-ed on corporate jargon, though I never came to appreciate the overused metaphors that filled the meetings and memos of my 40-plus-year career.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
Thank you and I appreciate you saying that because that was a concern of mine.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
To appreciate sentiment’s role in gold’s surprising weakness, consider how exuberant the average gold timer was over the four months leading up to the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East.
From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026
“You’re trying to protect me. I do appreciate that, Jakob. I will accept whatever the outcome is once we know the truth. Tell me about the code.”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
