appraise
Americanverb (used with object)
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to estimate the monetary value of; determine the worth of; assess.
We had an expert appraise the house before we bought it.
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to estimate the nature, quality, importance, etc..
He tried to appraise the poetry of John Updike.
verb
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to assess the worth, value, or quality of
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to make a valuation of, as for taxation purposes
Usage
Appraise is sometimes wrongly used where apprise is meant: they had been apprised ( not appraised ) of my arrival
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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appraisernoun
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misappraiseverb (used with object)
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overappraiseverb (used with object)
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reappraiseverb (used with object)
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appraisableadjective
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appraisiveadjective
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unappraisedadjective
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appraisinglyadverb
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appraisivelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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appraisesimple
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appraisessimple
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have appraisedperfect
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has appraisedperfect
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am appraisingprogressive
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are appraisingprogressive
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is appraisingprogressive
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have been appraisingperfect progressive
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has been appraisingperfect progressive
Past
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appraisedsimple
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had appraisedperfect
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was appraisingprogressive
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were appraisingprogressive
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had been appraisingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of appraise
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English apraysen “to set a value on”; probably equivalent to a conflation of apprize 1 and praise (with the sense of prize 2 )
Explanation
When you buy a house someone will need to appraise its value before you can get a mortgage. To appraise something is to figure out its worth in the marketplace, on the field, or in the world of ideas. To appraise the value of a friendship is difficult, but to appraise the value of your grandfather’s pocket watch — just go to the pawn shop. The verb appraise comes from the Late Latin word appretiare, which means “value” or “estimate.” You can appraise your chances of marrying royalty, which are probably slim. You can also appraise the value of a quarterback on your fantasy football team by looking at the statistics for his completed passes.
Vocabulary lists containing appraise
Of Mice and Men
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The Pearl
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"Of Mice and Men"
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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:
In January, Ho Chi Minh City's Civil Judgment Enforcement Agency said that it was seeking experts to appraise the value of two crocodile skin Hermès Birkin bags seized from Truong My Lan.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
There is something almost absurd about attempting to appraise “Gilgamesh,” as though one were asked to appraise wind, or love, or that first human thought that trembled toward language.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
If your husband wants to appraise his children of your estate plan, he can do that.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 10, 2026
He used a meandering conversation and a few hours to get AI to build Sprout Gifts, a gifting registry for kids, and an app to appraise any items via photos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2026
If you could for a moment rise up out of your own beloved skin and appraise ant, human, and virus as equally resourceful beings, you might admire the accord they have all struck in Africa.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
The ceramics and glass expert, with Lyon & Turnbull auctioneers in Edinburgh, joined the BBC programme in 2018 as one of the specialists who appraises objects brought in by members of the public.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
“There is a bid/ask spread just like there is for any other traded asset,” explained Trip Brannen, chief financial officer at Coinfully, a company that appraises and purchases coins.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 31, 2025
To put it another way: The cost of replacing a cracked screen on a year-old iPhone 14 is nearly equivalent to the phone’s value, which Apple appraises at $430 in trade-in credit.
From New York Times ● Nov. 12, 2023
We follow her gaze as she studies, appraises and, with a frown, corrects her work.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2023
Rather was he regarding it as one who calmly appraises a beautiful jewel he does not covet.
From The Forfeit by Cullum, Ridgwell
Raj Bhakta, a former “Apprentice” contestant, bought the land at a 77% discount to its appraised value shortly after the school closed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
“We plan to sell it to another family member for the appraised value.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
We had the home appraised within a few weeks after our family member’s death.
From MarketWatch ● May 18, 2026
Capital Group declined to confirm the reported $ 210 million sale price, but the building was last appraised in late 2024 at $212.5 million, down from $605 million 10 years earlier, according to Bloomberg.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026
King Barf finally looked at Opal and appraised her.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
Still, Mr. Turley observes, the newly independent Americans’ rage “would prove transformative for many framers in appraising the promise and the perils of democratic systems.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
Buffett’s success hinges on his skills as a value investor, “always appraising stocks as fractional-ownership interests in businesses that he planned to hold over the long term,” said the manager of the $23.5 billion fund.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 19, 2025
She wasn't interested to know that Clyde, appraising us from his teeny terrarium, was a near-doppelgänger for the 16 1/2-year-old companion I had lost a few months before.
From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2024
Star, meanwhile, said Mrs Macron had "great talent" when appraising her performance.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2024
I could see his eyes appraising Jacob, and looking satisfied at his obvious youth.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
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.
