appreciative
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of appreciative
First recorded in 1690–1700; appreciate + -ive
Explanation
If you do a friend a favor, your friend will probably be appreciative, meaning grateful. Use appreciative to describe words and actions that are positive, either out of gratitude or respect. If you know that appreciation is a type of respect and admiration, then you won't be surprised by the meanings of appreciative. Children should be appreciative of everything their parents do to take care of them. We can also say a positive review is appreciative, showing that the critic likes and appreciates the subject of the review. Appreciative words and gestures are always positive and respectful.
Vocabulary lists containing appreciative
ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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Bless Me, Ultima
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"Animal Snoops," Vocabulary from the informational text
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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.
At the same time, Eichacker has grown more appreciative of students who turn in an “honest clumsy response.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 22, 2026
Tsai felt similarly appreciative of the authorship she had over Sunny, a character who in other series might have been flattened into someone to root against.
From Salon • May 11, 2026
His eyes look slightly upward, as if casting an appreciative glance at the library that stood across the avenue until its controversial demolition to make way for the Frick mansion in 1912.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
Bronny James is appreciative of the coaches’ trust in him.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026
When I returned a few minutes later, Katz had accumulated a small, appreciative crowd and was demonstrating the use and theory of various straps and toggles on his backpack.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
