admire
Americanverb (used with object)
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admires,
present (3rd person singular)
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admired,
past participle, past
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admiring
present participle
verb (used without object)
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admires,
present (3rd person singular)
-
admired,
past participle, past
-
admiring
present participle
-
to feel or express admiration.
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Dialect. to take pleasure; like or desire.
I would admire to go.
idioms
verb
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to regard with esteem, respect, approval, or pleased surprise
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archaic to wonder at
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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admirernoun
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quasi-admireverb
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preadmireverb (used with object)
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admiringadjective
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unadmiredadjective
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admiringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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admiresimple
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admiressimple
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have admiredperfect
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has admiredperfect
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am admiringprogressive
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are admiringprogressive
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is admiringprogressive
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have been admiringperfect progressive
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has been admiringperfect progressive
Past
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admiredsimple
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had admiredperfect
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was admiringprogressive
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were admiringprogressive
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had been admiringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of admire
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin admīrārī, equivalent to ad- ad- + mīrārī (in Medieval Latin mīrāre ) “to wonder at, admire”
Explanation
If you hold someone in high esteem or look up to someone, you admire that person. If you ask four-year-olds who they most admire, they are likely to list their mom, dad, and grandparents — or superheroes and comic book characters. The verb admire also means to look at with wonder and pleasure. She stood on the balcony of her hotel for a long time, simply to admire the view of the ocean and the surf as it crashed against the rocks below. I admire the way she volunteers to help at the school and with other charities because she is willing to give her time to good causes.
Vocabulary lists containing admire
"Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." and "I Have a Dream"
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"A Natural Balance" and "In My Dreams"
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Lyrics from "American Pie" by Don McLean
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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:
It added: "We respect the National Poet of Wales' artistic independence and continue to admire and value their work."
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
The prime minister said he would "always admire the characteristic courage and openness with which she spoke about her illness, making us all think about the difficult questions we face at the end of life".
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
She’s been through a lot of grief, and I admire her resilience.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026
“To see Dosis and ‘No Capea’ celebrated alongside artists I admire is a dream come true,” said Xavi.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
Water had always filled me with awe in its majestic settings, its cool repose, but everything about this lake was a terror to me because I couldn’t admire it from any place of safety.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Speaking at a conference in Tel Aviv, Eisenkot said he "admires" Trump "but Israel is a democratic country, only Israelis can choose their leaders".
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026
Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, the Cardiff-born presenter said he "admires" King Charles III in many ways, but said it was a "matter of choice".
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Maria admires the courage that it took for her sister to go.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Macron invited him to a formal dinner to be held at the one place Trump admires most in the world, other than Mar-a-Lago and Trump Tower: the Palace of Versailles.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026
She admires the sea, a calm, brilliant turquoise to her left, and the familiar pattern of royal palms dotting the landscape.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
In an email interview, Buchanan points out that tokenized art “can be admired by others, and the transferability is seamless.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Sources have also indicated Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is admired at United, but the fact he is under contract would complicate any move for the Spaniard.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
The tureen is meant to be used, not admired from a respectful distance.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
During his first two years as the Lakers coach, Redick admired Williams’ intent on the defensive end from afar and commended the forward’s willingness to defend other teams’ star players.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
He liked George Orwell’s work, and for years held on to his copies of Animal Farm and 1984; he also read and admired Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
The section “Broken Dolls” reminded me of lines from 1958’s “The Long, Hot Summer,” addressed to Joanne Woodward by an admiring Paul Newman: “I’ll bet you was a mighty appealin’ little girl.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
“Frank Capra” is fond and admiring, even gushing at times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
"But admiring someone does not give you the right to take, to claim as mine texts that are not my own."
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
She said: "She had a lovely melodious quality to her voice and I remember my late father admiring her quiet talent".
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
“Man, how long did your ancient ancestor work on this project down here?” remarked Kojo, admiring the carefully crafted corridor of stone.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
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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.
