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admire

/ədˈmaɪə/ (Received-Pronunciation)/ədˈmaɪɹ/ (General-American)/ədˈmʌɪɹ/ syllables: ad·mire
  • verb
  • from Middle French

To regard with wonder and delight.

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1 All current definitions

Every sense of “admire” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.

verb

  1. transitiveTo regard with wonder and delight.
  2. transitiveTo look upon with an elevated feeling of pleasure, as something which calls out approbation, esteem, love or reverence.
  3. transitiveTo estimate or value highly; to hold in high esteem.

    to admire a person of high moral worth

  4. USdialectalrareTo be enthusiastic about (doing something); to want or like (to do something). (Sometimes followed by to.)

    I'm not sayin' she's touched the Devil, now, but I'd admire to know what books she reads and why she hides them — she'll not answer me, y' see.1953, Arthur Miller, The Crucible:

Older & obsolete senses (1)
  1. obsoletetransitiveTo be amazed at; to view with surprise; to marvel at.
Wiktionary: “admire” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
Cross-check: WordNet senses (2)
  1. verbfeel admiration for — also: look up to
  2. verblook at with admiration
Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License

2 History of the word

The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.

The word’s journey, newest to oldest:

  1. English (today)admire
  2. Middle Englishadmyren
  3. Middle Frenchadmirer
  4. Latinadmīror
  5. Latinad + mīror “wonder at”

From Middle English admyren, borrowed from Middle French admirer, from Latin admīror, from ad + mīror (“wonder at”).

Wiktionary: “admire” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Derivatives — words built from “admire”

admirableadmirateadmirationadmirativeadmiredlyadmireeadmirerreadmireunadmired

Related terms

admirablyadmirativelymiratemirationmirativemirativity
Wiktionary: “admire” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Want to go deeper? See also “admire” on Etymonline ↗

3 Original language

Where “admire” came from before it was English.

Came into English from
Middle French
Middle French admirer
Oldest written form
Latin
Latin ad + mīror
Wiktionary: “admire” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

4 Original meaning

What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.

Built from
ad + mīror “wonder at”

Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913

A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.

admire v. t. [F. admirer, fr. L. admirari; ad + mirari to wonder, for smirari, akin to Gr. smi, and E. smile.]

  1. To regard with wonder or astonishment; to view with surprise; to marvel at.
  2. To regard with wonder and delight; to look upon with an elevated feeling of pleasure, as something which calls out approbation, esteem, love, or reverence; to estimate or prize highly; as, to admire a person of high moral worth, to admire a landscape.

admire v. i.

  1. To wonder; to marvel; to be affected with surprise; -- sometimes with at.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), public domain, via GCIDE

5 Use it with confidence

Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.

verbMeaning: To estimate or value highly; to hold in high esteem.

to admire a person of high moral worth

to admire a landscape

verbMeaning: To be enthusiastic about (doing something); to want or like (to do something). (Sometimes followed by to.)

I'm not sayin' she's touched the Devil, now, but I'd admire to know what books she reads and why she hides them — she'll not answer me, y' see.1953, Arthur Miller, The Crucible:

And I'd admire seeing this creek become a sort of stopping place for geese of one sort and another.1976, Field & Stream, page 10:

Wiktionary: “admire” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Three steps to owning it

  1. Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
  2. Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
  3. Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?

6 The mastery game

Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.

Step 1 of 6

Say it, then spell it

admire

/ədˈmaɪə/ · ad·mire

Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.

Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________

admire

/ədˈmaɪə/ · ad·mire · verb

Step 1 — Say it and write it

Say “admire” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.

Step 2 — Know every meaning

Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.

1. (verb) To regard with wonder and delight.
2. (verb) To look upon with an elevated feeling of pleasure, as something which calls out approbation, esteem, love or reverence.
3. (verb) To estimate or value highly; to hold in high esteem.
4. (verb) To be enthusiastic about (doing something); to want or like (to do something). (Sometimes followed by to.)

Step 3 — History and origin

Which language did “admire” come into English from?   A. French  B. Middle French  C. Latin  D. Middle Dutch

Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):

Write three words built from “admire” and what each means:

Step 4 — Original meaning

Read the etymology on the page. What does it tell you about the word’s earlier meaning?

How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?

Step 5 — Use it yourself

Write a sentence using “admire” to mean: To regard with wonder and delight.
Write a sentence using “admire” to mean: To look upon with an elevated feeling of pleasure, as something which calls out approbation, esteem, love or reverence.
Write a sentence using “admire” to mean: To estimate or value highly; to hold in high esteem.

☐ I can explain its meanings   ☐ I know its history   ☐ I know its original language   ☐ I know its original meaning   ☐ I can use it confidently

Answer key — admire

Origin: B. Middle French (Middle French admirer)

Journey: English admire ← Middle English admyren ← Middle French admirer ← Latin admīror ← Latin ad + mīror

Some derivatives: admirable, admirate, admiration, admirative, admiredly, admiree, admirer, readmire

Built from: ad + mīror “wonder at”

Etymology: From Middle English admyren, borrowed from Middle French admirer, from Latin admīror, from ad + mīror (“wonder at”).

Sources: Wiktionary “admire” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/admire#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/admire