appreciate

verb

ə-ˈprē-shē-ˌāt How to pronounce appreciate (audio)
Definition of appreciatenext
1
as in to understand
to have a clear idea of I hope you appreciate just how much that collector's CD costs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to admire
to think very highly or favorably of many great artists and musicians have not been appreciated in their own lifetimes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to love
to hold dear I appreciate my parents more than I can express

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number the value of that antique should appreciate over time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word appreciate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of appreciate are cherish, prize, treasure, and value. While all these words mean "to hold in high estimation," appreciate often connotes sufficient understanding to enjoy or admire a thing's excellence.

appreciates fine wine

When could cherish be used to replace appreciate?

In some situations, the words cherish and appreciate are roughly equivalent. However, cherish implies a special love and care for something.

cherishes her children above all

When can prize be used instead of appreciate?

Although the words prize and appreciate have much in common, prize implies taking a deep pride in something one possesses.

Americans prize their freedom

In what contexts can treasure take the place of appreciate?

The words treasure and appreciate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, treasure emphasizes jealously safeguarding something considered precious.

a treasured memento

When would value be a good substitute for appreciate?

While the synonyms value and appreciate are close in meaning, value implies rating a thing highly for its intrinsic worth.

values our friendship

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of appreciate Shelby Van Daley, the founder of Daley Home in Austin, Texas, also appreciates how much personality secretary desks have to offer. — Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2026 The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is one of the best telescopes for beginner-to-intermediate stargazers who want to view deep-sky objects and appreciate assistance in manually locating the targets. — Paul Brett, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Additionally, some drivers appreciate the tactile feel of physical buttons, so a vehicle's infotainment system and available buttons could make or break the test drive experience for car buyers. — Charles Singh, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 Caccia noted that consumers increasingly value pieces designed to endure, appreciating clothing that performs better and retains its integrity over time. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for appreciate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appreciate
  1. understand
  2. admire
  3. love
  4. increase
  5. know
  6. respect
  7. value
  8. rise
Verb
  • By studying who farts more, who farts less and how flatulence changes with diet, researchers aim to understand how microbes respond to different foods and why some people can tolerate high-fiber diets comfortably while others struggle with gas.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Scientists have long sought to understand the link between climate change and El Niño.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of understand
Verb
  • The people in it aren’t admiring your career from a distance.
    — Jeanan Yasiri Moe, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • There are many ways to admire the region’s autumnal splendor, from crossing the swinging bridge at Seven Bends State Park to riding the chairlift at Bryce Resort.
    — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of admire
Verb
  • Everything couples and other travelers love about South Seas is right here, but just a little more relaxed.
    — South Seas Island Resort, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Testers loved the cushiony texture, which felt featherlight on skin while delivering a noticeable surge of hydration and softness.
    — Sheryl George, Glamour, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of love
Verb
  • By increasing the carrier density in the neighbouring graphene bilayer, the team progressively weakened the Coulomb interactions between electrons in the magic-angle graphene.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The cores or plugs removed from the lawn during aeration actually increase the success of overseeding by providing more direct contact between the seeds and the soil.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of increase
Verb
  • The death came as the festival endured another year with weather woes, including rain on Friday that temporarily closed a main gate to festival grounds known as Black Rock City.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 5 Sep. 2026
  • As the commission moved toward a vote on the plan, there was a certain resignation among the ballroom skeptics, who knew that they were outnumbered.
    — Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of know
Verb
  • Momentum really started to build as those moving averages turned higher, with SPOT subsequently respecting them as support throughout much of the next three years.
    — Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The period is respected but never allowed to become stiff or artificial.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of respect
Verb
  • The public's mounting disdain for the tech sector could prove especially challenging for Anthropic and OpenAI, both valued at nearly $1 trillion and gearing up for potentially historic IPOs.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Project Rise Love Productions founders Richard McKerrow and Anna Beattie built a culture that valued creative independence, meaning relations with Sky were not always straightforward.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of value
Verb
  • But rising bond yields make safer government debt more attractive relative to stocks, while also reducing the present value investors assign to companies’ future earnings.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • At the same time, waste is still piling up and resale’s environmental footprint is rising.
    — Bella Webb, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of rise

Browse Nearby Words

appreciably
appreciate
appreciated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Appreciate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appreciate. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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