admire

 verb: 1. to regard with wonder, pleasure, or approval. 2. to feel or express admiration. 4. to regard with esteem, respect, approval, or pleased surprise. 3. to feel respect and approval for (someone or something) : to regard with admiration: They all admired her courage. Dialect: 1. to take pleasure; like or desire: I would admire to go. 2. to like very much: … I would admire to know why not … — A. H. Lewis. Archaic: to wonder or marvel at. Idioms and Phrases: 1. "be admiring of," Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. to admire: He's admiring of his brother's farm. Examples: We gazed out the window and admired the scenery. I admire the way you handled such a touchy situation. Related Words: extol, prize, applaud, treasure, appreciate, laud, honor, commend, credit, adore, hail, praise, cherish, respect, worship, revere, idolize, glorify, eulogize, value. Synonyms: esteem, revere, venerate. appreciate, consider, esteem, regard, respect. Antonym: despise. Synonym Study: 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. Origin: 1580–90; < Latin admīrārī, equivalent to ad- ad- + mīrārī (in Medieval Latin mīrāre) to wonder at, admire. C16: from Latin admīrāri to wonder at, from ad- to, at + mīrāri to wonder, from mīrus wonderful. First Known Use: 15th century. History and Etymology: 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. Source 1, Source 2.