respect
Americannoun
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respects
plural
-
a particular, detail, or point (usually preceded byin ).
to differ in some respect.
-
relation or reference.
inquiries with respect to a route.
- Synonyms:
- connection, regard
-
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
-
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.
-
the condition of being esteemed or honored.
to be held in respect.
-
respects, a formal expression or gesture of greeting, esteem, or friendship.
Give my respects to your parents.
-
favor or partiality.
- Synonyms:
- preference, bias
-
Archaic. a consideration.
verb (used with object)
-
respects,
present (3rd person singular)
-
respected,
past participle, past
-
respecting
present participle
idioms
-
pay one's respects,
-
to visit in order to welcome, greet, etc..
We paid our respects to the new neighbors.
-
to express one's sympathy, especially to survivors following a death.
We paid our respects to the family.
-
-
in respect that, because of; since.
-
in respect of, in reference to; in regard to; concerning.
-
with respect to, referring to; concerning.
with respect to your latest request.
noun
-
an attitude of deference, admiration, or esteem; regard
-
the state of being honoured or esteemed
-
a detail, point, or characteristic; particular
he differs in some respects from his son
-
reference or relation (esp in the phrases in respect of , with respect to )
-
polite or kind regard; consideration
respect for people's feelings
-
(often plural) an expression of esteem or regard (esp in the phrase pay one's respects )
verb
-
to have an attitude of esteem towards; show or have respect for
to respect one's elders
-
to pay proper attention to; not violate
to respect Swiss neutrality
-
to show consideration for; treat courteously or kindly
-
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
-
am respectingprogressive
-
are respectingprogressive
-
is respectingprogressive
-
have been respectingperfect progressive
-
has been respectingperfect progressive
Past
-
respectedsimple
-
had respectedperfect
-
was respectingprogressive
-
were respectingprogressive
-
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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myPerspectives 6.1
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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:
Lai welcomed talks between the United States and China, but insisted "there must be respect for the right of the people of Taiwan to exist".
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
In his first news conference since the ruling - which the club has appealed - Arteta attempted to bat away questions, saying he wanted to "respect" the ongoing process.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
“Hopefully they respect the boundaries that we have,” said Mark Anthony Castillo, a 34-year-old tour guide in Basco, the Batanes’ capital.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
“I have such incredible respect for anybody who knows how to entertain at that level because it’s an absolute gift — and it’s really hard work.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Juanita’s lack of respect to the elderly Teresita embarrassed me.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
It is, in many respects, the bucket list to end all bucket lists.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
In paying respects to LeBron James’ eight years with the Lakers, Rob Pelinka referred to his time as “an incredible era for us here.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
Banque Misr added that it respects “relevant regulatory and legal frameworks.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
While they may inhabit a different world than the rest of us in other respects, they live and die along with the rest of the investment world when it comes to investing.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
I’ll pay our respects at the funeral on Saturday.
From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Now Gabriel is in Spain, working full-time with highly respected coach Jack Hunter.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
They were able to get Merlot grapes from Three Palms Vineyard, a respected vineyard in the area, and decided to give Merlot a try.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Speaking after a meeting with the country's prime minister Albin Kurti, von der Leyen said the court's "mandate must be fully respected".
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
Holland, a respected former Netflix executive, was one of the few Paramount executives who lacked long ties to Ellison, who brought much of his Skydance team with him to Paramount.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
Still, Pa always told me that the mayor was a man to be respected.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
Vaccarello began the difficult task of replacing France's Hedi Slimane at Saint Laurent in 2016, taking several seasons to identify a fresh look for the brand while also respecting its illustrious heritage.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
Pledging love and respecting someone or a relationship can make people feel so uncomfortable that leaning into these tropes of life can feel humorous, and that’s where the laughs from a Hallmark film come from.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
But I can’t shake the feeling that there’s a difference between respecting someone’s independence and refusing to let the people who love you help.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Their presence has led to debate over how to balance bringing tennis to a new, different audience while respecting the game's etiquette.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Only two days ago, she would have left it at that, respecting their unspoken agreement to tread lightly in each other’s pasts.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
