admire

1 of 2

verb

ad·​mire əd-ˈmī(-ə)r How to pronounce admire (audio)
admired; admiring
Synonyms of admire

transitive verb

1
: to feel respect and approval for (someone or something) : to regard with admiration
They all admired her courage.
2
archaic : to marvel at

intransitive verb

dialect : to like very much
… I would admire to know why not …—A. H. Lewis
admirer noun

admirer

2 of 2

noun

ad·​mir·​er
əd-ˈmī-rər also ad-
plural -s
: one that admires
an admirer of the president
among the admirers of his preaching
specifically : lover, beau
one of the young lady's admirers

Synonyms of admire

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for admire

regard, respect, esteem, admire mean to recognize the worth of a person or thing.

regard is a general term that is usually qualified.

he is highly regarded in the profession

respect implies a considered evaluation or estimation.

after many years they came to respect her views

esteem implies greater warmth of feeling accompanying a high valuation.

no citizen of the town was more highly esteemed

admire suggests usually enthusiastic appreciation and often deep affection.

a friend that I truly admire

Examples of admire in a Sentence

Verb We gazed out the window and admired the scenery. I admire the way you handled such a touchy situation.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
On top of these heat-seeking missiles, the platforms play to humans’ (particularly teens’) need to be accepted and admired by peers. — Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 New life for the Armstrong house Schreiber, who grew up in Dayton, about 60 miles south of Armstrong’s hometown, always admired him for his achievements, modesty and character. — John Seewer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 Together, the two then traveled to Santorini, Antiparos, and Athens, making their way through the landscapes Susan had long admired in photographs. — Jenn Sinrich, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026 Players who watched what Brunson did last season while leading the Knicks to their first NBA championship since 1973 clearly admire what the 2018 second-round pick has become. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for admire

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed from Middle French admirer, Latinization of amirer "to make (little or much) of," borrowed from Latin admīrārī, ammīrārī "to regard with wonder, show esteem for," from ad- ad- + mīrārī "to be surprised, look with wonder at," derivative of mīrus, "remarkable, amazing," of uncertain origin

Note: Regarding etymology of Latin mīrus see note at smile entry 1.

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Noun

1571, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of admire was in the 15th century

Rhymes for admire

See All Rhymes for admire

Browse Nearby Words

admirative
admire
admirer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Admire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/admire. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

admire

verb
ad·​mire əd-ˈmī(ə)r How to pronounce admire (audio)
admired; admiring
1
: to look at with admiration
admire the scenery
2
: to have high regard for
admired her courage
admirer
-ˈmīr-ər
noun
Etymology

Verb

from early French admirer "to marvel at," from Latin admirari (same meaning), from ad- "at" and mirari "to wonder" — related to miracle

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