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
-
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:
And it’s a challenge for a candidate whose rise was fueled by a combative approach to entrenched power, an approach many of his supporters appreciate.
From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026
Its important that we fans recognize and appreciate that.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
"He's not afraid to pull any punches… I appreciate how much he talks about corruption."
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Although his association with “Star Trek” and Picard came to define how people perceived him, Stewart’s merry attitude about his claim to fame let us appreciate his range.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026
“We have a childcare company, and our clients wouldn’t appreciate you distracting us.”
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
He added that he appreciates Marvell’s push into connectivity products and the diversity of its customer base.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
Yet he appreciates there is another side to the photographs, and to the rebellion they record.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
While he appreciates the geographic diversity of the region, Valderrama says his love for the city is actually tied to “the gift of being an immigrant.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
An epic hero does not scorn death; he appreciates its gravity and confronts it anyway.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Celia appreciates that he does not immediately dismiss the idea.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Dolly herself, famously, appreciated so many other kinds of music.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
“Donating appreciated stock is one of the smartest moves a charitably minded investor can make,” David Kassir, a managing director at Manna Wealth Management, told MarketWatch over email.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
After the prayer, he thanked the people who have prayed for him in recent days and said he appreciated the support.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
"You don't have to play for a big-six team to be appreciated in the Premier League. Gross is not under the radar, because people know how good he is."
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
“Those little daily acts of thoughtfulness were much appreciated and the men soon loved him.”
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
For the family, there is a balance between appreciating the community support, but not being overwhelmed by it, she said.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 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
“Just look at her on that camel, she was having a blast and still appreciating good food.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Here are Neill’s highlights, all worth rewatching for the sake of better appreciating a sophisticated presence often on the sidelines.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
I followed her silently, appreciating the new perspective.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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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.
