appreciate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
appreciates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
appreciated,
past participle, past
-
appreciating
present participle
-
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)
-
appreciates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
appreciated,
past participle, past
-
appreciating
present participle
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
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
-
appreciatesimple
-
appreciatessimple
-
have appreciatedperfect
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has appreciatedperfect
-
am appreciatingprogressive
-
are appreciatingprogressive
-
is appreciatingprogressive
-
have been appreciatingperfect progressive
-
has been appreciatingperfect progressive
Past
-
appreciatedsimple
-
had appreciatedperfect
-
was appreciatingprogressive
-
were appreciatingprogressive
-
had been appreciatingperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
Although nearly impossible to appreciate at a human scale, such a small adjustment can make an important difference when a telescope is designed to study objects across vast cosmic distances.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
A modest pleasure, but one I’ve come to appreciate.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
“I think this is a use case and a type of person where they’re going to appreciate someone getting out of the car and greeting them by name,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Revisit some of the show’s best jingles and parodies, appreciate Alec Baldwin’s singular performance as Jack Donaghy, and test your memory with this quiz.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
Soon the forest would be full of things to eat, but Nhamo doubted she would survive long enough to appreciate them.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Though Varsha admits she is unlikely to make much use of an algorithm switch, she appreciates having the choice.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
When Madison’s Frances goes on a blind date, her online match says he appreciates that the internet makes it simpler for singles to pair up “within their own vector.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
"The 501st Combat Support Wing appreciates the swift response and continued support of our local law enforcement partners," it said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
As a CEO and now the parent of two young children, Braus appreciates the predictability of what’s largely a Monday-to-Friday desk job.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
“All I can say is that I’m glad you’re over there, helping them, Brady. Gina’s so sweet, and with a baby coming, I’m sure she appreciates your help.”
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
It appreciated more than 25 times from the $940,000 it went for in 2005.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
Bodrum is perhaps best appreciated from the water, ideally on board a gulet, a wooden sailing vessel common in southwest Turkey.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Many appreciated that she could relate to the challenges they faced as renters.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
Robinson told BBC Sport that the scale of Kane's greatness may only be fully appreciated in years to come.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
She appreciated the fact that they took her seriously.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
For example, how much more yield would people then demand for owning bonds when appreciating assets like stocks are shielded?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
She said the scale, height, and mass of the new ballroom would impair her aesthetic, cultural, and historical interests in viewing and appreciating the White House.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
Hopkins said he is becoming more at peace with slowing down his hectic acting career, and of appreciating the time he’s been given.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
"My dad loved movies and he was a huge advocate for us watching and appreciating art," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The human ear and brain are capable of hearing and appreciating very small variations in timbre.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
