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
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have appreciatedperfect
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has appreciatedperfect 3rd person singular
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has been appreciatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are appreciatingprogressive
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am appreciatingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been appreciatingperfect progressive
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is appreciatingprogressive 3rd person singular
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appreciatingparticiple
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appreciatessingular 3rd person
Past
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had appreciatedperfect
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were appreciatingprogressive plural
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had been appreciatingperfect progressive
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was appreciatingprogressive singular
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appreciatedparticiple
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appreciatedsimple
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."
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.
It was something only parents in this digital-device era could appreciate: unfettered access to their phones.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
And all ‘grown-up Cs’ meant to him was, ‘I’m worried you won’t have people around you who appreciate how great you are.’
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
As someone who has hyper-specific playlists to regulate my moods, I appreciate that whether you want to party, chill outside or brandish your middle finger to the world, the Salon DJ Collective has you covered.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
Sir Jeffrey said he did not know "where else to turn" and he would "truly appreciate" a private conversation.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
Picasso was about to make a major advance in his art—a leap so far forward that few would appreciate what he was trying to do.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
