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Synonyms

appreciate

American  
[uh-pree-shee-eyt] / əˈpri ʃiˌeɪt /

verb (used with object)

appreciated, appreciating
  1. to be grateful or thankful for.

    They appreciated his thoughtfulness.

  2. to value or regard highly; place a high estimate on.

    to appreciate good wine.

  3. to be fully conscious of; be aware of; detect.

    to appreciate the dangers of a situation.

  4. to raise in value.


verb (used without object)

appreciated, appreciating
  1. to increase in value.

    Property values appreciated yearly.

appreciate British  
/ əˈpriːʃɪˌeɪt, -sɪ- /

verb

  1. to feel thankful or grateful for

    to appreciate a favour

  2. (may take a clause as object) to take full or sufficient account of

    to appreciate a problem

  3. to value highly

    to appreciate Shakespeare

  4. (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

  • appreciatingly adverb
  • appreciator noun
  • self-appreciating adjective
  • unappreciating adjective

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 )

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.

The sector’s valuations should also continue to appreciate, driven by factors such as high dividend yields, Woo says.

From The Wall Street Journal

They reiterate a buy rating on miner Lynas, highlighting low costs and growing heavy rare-earths separation capacity “that is likely not fully appreciated yet.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“We appreciate that some people are still haunted by memories of the past,” the company said, “but the U.S. nuclear industry evolved and improved.”

From The Wall Street Journal

McCulloh, the Space Force officer in New Mexico, said a handful of tech and energy-related stocks now account for the majority of his net worth simply because they’ve appreciated so much.

From The Wall Street Journal

No play by Stoppard can be fully appreciated in a single theatrical outing.

From Los Angeles Times