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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Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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Bless Me, Ultima
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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.
And he’s the first to admit that he wasn’t always appreciative of fashion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026
He received a response from Curry's team three weeks before his final performance, saying that he was "very appreciative" of that letter and thanked him for sending it.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
“We all love him. We’re so appreciative of everything you did for us.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
Callaway said in an original statement that it was disappointed by the video and was appreciative of Good Good for addressing the backlash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Someone cries out, "Twelve down and eleven to go!" which gets a round of appreciative hoots.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
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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.
