respect
Americannoun
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a particular, detail, or point (usually preceded byin ).
to differ in some respect.
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relation or reference.
inquiries with respect to a route.
- Synonyms:
- connection, regard
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esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability.
I have great respect for her judgment.
- Synonyms:
- honor, homage, reverence, estimation
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deference to a right, privilege, privileged position, or someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges; proper acceptance or courtesy; acknowledgment.
respect for a suspect's right to counsel; to show respect for the flag; respect for the elderly.
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the condition of being esteemed or honored.
to be held in respect.
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respects, a formal expression or gesture of greeting, esteem, or friendship.
Give my respects to your parents.
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favor or partiality.
- Synonyms:
- preference, bias
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Archaic. a consideration.
verb (used with object)
idioms
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pay one's respects,
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to visit in order to welcome, greet, etc..
We paid our respects to the new neighbors.
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to express one's sympathy, especially to survivors following a death.
We paid our respects to the family.
-
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in respect that, because of; since.
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in respect of, in reference to; in regard to; concerning.
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with respect to, referring to; concerning.
with respect to your latest request.
noun
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an attitude of deference, admiration, or esteem; regard
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the state of being honoured or esteemed
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a detail, point, or characteristic; particular
he differs in some respects from his son
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reference or relation (esp in the phrases in respect of , with respect to )
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polite or kind regard; consideration
respect for people's feelings
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(often plural) an expression of esteem or regard (esp in the phrase pay one's respects )
verb
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to have an attitude of esteem towards; show or have respect for
to respect one's elders
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to pay proper attention to; not violate
to respect Swiss neutrality
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to show consideration for; treat courteously or kindly
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archaic to concern or refer to
Synonym Usage
Respect, esteem, veneration imply recognition of personal qualities by approbation, deference, and more or less affection. Respect is commonly the result of admiration and approbation, together with deference: to feel respect for a great scholar. Esteem is deference combined with admiration and often with affection: to hold a friend in great esteem. Veneration is an almost religious attitude of deep respect, reverence, and love, such as we feel for persons or things of outstanding superiority, endeared by long association: veneration for one's grandparents, for noble traditions.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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respectsimple
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respectssimple
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have respectedperfect
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has respectedperfect
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am respectingprogressive
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are respectingprogressive
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is respectingprogressive
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have been respectingperfect progressive
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has been respectingperfect progressive
Past
-
respectedsimple
-
had respectedperfect
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was respectingprogressive
-
were respectingprogressive
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had been respectingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of respect
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English noun from Old French or directly from Latin respectus “action of looking back, consideration, regard,” equivalent to respec-, variant stem of respicere “to look back” ( re- “back” + specere “to look”) + -tus suffix of verbal action; verb from Latin respectus, past participle of respicere; see re-
Explanation
Respect is a way of treating or thinking about something or someone. If you respect your teacher, you admire her and treat her well. People respect others who are impressive for any reason, such as being in authority — like a teacher or cop — or being older — like a grandparent. You show respect by being polite and kind. For a lot of people, taking your hat off is a show of respect. When people are insulted or treated badly, they feel they haven't been treated with respect. You can respect things as well as people. Saying the Pledge of Allegiance shows respect to your country.
Vocabulary lists containing respect
Memorial Day Words
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act III
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Aretha Franklin (1942 - 2018) Tribute List
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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 was his rejection of resentment and his respect for those who succeed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Your friend appears to have a lot of anxiety about her estate after she’s gone, and she either did not hear or did not respect your first answer.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
"We make every effort to respect the way things are done in Japan and to follow the rules," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Only the real joke, it seems, is that Judith assumed her mission-completion rate and dedication were enough to maintain the respect of Sam and their boss, played by Bill Nighy.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
But you should imagine that I learned of it in the weeks and months that came later, as I discovered more about my new master, losing respect with each new discovery.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
“Their presence is governed by a defense agreement that fully respects our sovereignty,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
That was a faster rise than the 5.9% average recorded since 2000, and was unusual in other respects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Among the crowds queuing for a photo was Julie Sawyer and her daughter Holly, who travelled from Nottingham to pay their respects.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
To the Ukrainian leader -- seen as mistrusting of those with political ambitions or popular appeal -- the ever-loyal Syrsky, a career military man, was in many respects an ideal commander.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
“We felt we must come and pay our respects to the bride.”
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
The Nobel laureate is a deeply respected, superstar in the AI field but has less of a public profile in the U.S., where his peers have become more polarizing figures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
A spokesperson for Greene King said it respected the tribunal's decision and that it was committed to upholding the highest standards of employee welfare.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Despite his involvement in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal in 2017, ex-Dodgers infielder Alex Cora remains a respected manager who should rebound from the Red Sox firing him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Svitlana, 48, a nurse in an airborne assault unit, also saw the arrival of Drapaty -- a respected "combat officer" -- as "positive."
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Besides, I wanted to be accepted and, most of all, respected.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
The discussions focused on "common principles and operational mechanisms" for ensuring the safe passage of shipping through the strait while respecting the sovereign rights of the two states, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
"It's about respecting the office... the US-UK relationship, but where you disagree ... do it in a way that is kind of meeting him where's he's at."
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
“The future of creativity depends on respecting the ownership and autonomy of those who make it possible.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
For campervaners Beate and Heiner Delbach, respecting the local environment is just common sense.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
He spoke to her flatly, turned to the side; then swiveling to survey her heighth rapidly, he delivered his determinations respecting her inquiries, and was done with her.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
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.
