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to admire

to admire

621 1.6
To feel respect and pleasure when you look at someone or something
  • verb
  • /ədˈmaɪər/
: admirar
  • I admire the way she handles difficult situations with grace and determination.
  • admire the work
  • admire a book
  • admire men

All she could do is admire her color.

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Examples

  • But there was one talent he possessed which Annabelle admired above all others.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • I reach out to people whose work I admire and tell them that.

  • So I really admire you as a friend.

  • The number of those who admire it is even greater.

  • And I should say that I admire people that work hard.

  • And man, I just admire, admire you so much.

  • We just wanna introduce him to a bunch of people who really admire him for what he did.

  • Students will realize that you are human after all, and will appreciate and admire your flexibility.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Everyone we admire has ups and downs.

  • And it's easy to admire her determination to make room for herself in this overflowing landscape.

    Academic text (2011)

Synonyms

to appreciate
vsto admire
∞ 3.2

To feel grateful for someone or something

focuses more on feeling respect or pleasure than gratitude
to praise
vsto admire
381 1.0

To tell a person that you admire or approve of them

can be a private feeling rather than an explicit expression
to adore
vsto admire
258 2.4

Love someone or something very much

is more about respectful approval or pleased observation than love
to applaud
vsto admire
172 3.2

To show praise in public for a person or idea

can be silent or private, not necessarily publicly expressed
to look up to
vsto admire
127 2.8

To respect and want to be like someone

is broader and does not always imply role model status
to worship
vsto admire
111 3.4

To admire someone very much, often without thinking about their faults

is moderate and does not involve excessive or blind devotion
to commend
vsto admire
85 4.4

To praise someone or something for good work

may be simply a feeling of respect or quiet approval
to revere
vsto admire
54 6.7

To feel deep respect and admiration for someone, often with awe

is less intense and usually lacks the awe element
to idolize
vsto admire
  • US
39 4.9

Admire someone very much, often ignoring their faults

is more balanced and does not imply ignoring faults
to esteem
vsto admire
8 4.6

To have respect for someone because of what they do

is more general and can show simple approval or pleasure

Antonyms

116 3.5

To show a lack of respect for someone

to look down on
  • Offensive
66 3.7

Think you are better than someone and treat them as less important

25 5.5

To show dislike and no respect for someone or something

How Admiring

to worship
111 3.4
to adore
258 2.4
to admire
621 1.6
to like
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

admire infinitive
admired past
admired past participle
admiring present participle
admires third person singular

Etymology

Admire comes from the Latin parts ad- 'to' and mirari 'to wonder'. So to admire someone is to look at them with 'wonder' and respect, as if they were a little miracle.