esteem

American  

[ih-steem] / ɪˈstim /

verb (used with object)

esteems, present (3rd person singular) esteemed, past participle, past esteeming present participle

1. to regard highly or favorably; regard with respect or admiration.

   I esteem him for his honesty.

   Synonyms:

   respect, revere, honor

   Antonyms:

   disdain

2. to consider as of a certain value or of a certain type; regard.

   I esteem it worthless.

3. Obsolete. to set a value on; appraise.

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noun

1. favorable opinion or judgment; respect or regard.

   to hold a person in esteem.

   Synonyms:

   veneration, reverence, honor, admiration, favor

2. Archaic. opinion or judgment; estimation; valuation.

esteem British  

/ ɪˈstiːm /

verb

1. to have great respect or high regard for

   to esteem a colleague

2. formal to judge or consider; deem

   to esteem an idea improper

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noun

1. high regard or respect; good opinion

2. archaic judgment; opinion

Usage

What are other ways to say esteem? If you esteem someone, you hold them in high regard. How is esteem different from appreciate, value, and prize? Find out on Thesaurus.com. 

Synonym Usage

See respect.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preesteem
  verb (used with object)
• esteemed
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has esteemed
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have esteemed
  perfect
• is esteeming
  progressive 3rd person singular
• has been esteeming
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• are esteeming
  progressive
• am esteeming
  progressive 1st person singular
• have been esteeming
  perfect progressive
• esteeming
  participle
• esteems
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had esteemed
  perfect
• was esteeming
  progressive singular
• had been esteeming
  perfect progressive
• esteemed
  simple
• were esteeming
  progressive plural
• esteemed
  participle

Future

• will esteem
  simple
• will have esteemed
  perfect
• will be esteeming
  progressive
• will have been esteeming
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of esteem

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English estemen, from Middle French estimer, from Latin aestimāre “to fix the value of”

Explanation

Esteem is all about respect and admiration. If you have high self-esteem, it means you like yourself. When you say, "My esteemed colleagues," you are saying you have nothing but the highest respect for them. Esteem derives from the same Latin word that gives us estimate, and back in the day, esteem, like estimate meant "to assess, or judge the value of something." That sense lingers today. When you say you hold someone in high esteem, it means you give them a high value. Unless you're a politician, in which case, when you say, "I hold my opponent in high esteem," you are most likely to follow that statement with a big "But...."

Related Words

• hold dear
• revere
• value
• venerate