admire

/əd'maiə/

Thân thiện

She stops to admire the beautiful painting in the museum.

Definition

Verb: 1. To regard with respect, warm approval, or delighted wonder: To look at or consider someone or something with a feeling of pleasure and appreciation for their qualities, achievements, or beauty. 2. To hold in high esteem: To feel and express admiration for a person's character, skills, or actions.

Usage and Examples

• Admire + person/thing (direct object):

  • I really admire your dedication to your studies. (I hold your dedication in high esteem.)
  • We stopped to admire the beautiful sunset. (We looked at the sunset with delighted wonder.)
  • She admires her grandmother for her strength and wisdom. (She respects her grandmother deeply.)

• Admire + reflexive pronoun (to express a self-satisfied or ironic attitude):

  • He stood in front of the mirror, admiring himself in his new suit. (He looked at himself with pleasure and approval.)

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "To be admired for something": To be respected because of a specific quality.
  • She is widely admired for her honesty and integrity.
• "To admire someone from afar": To admire someone, often romantically, without having a close relationship with them.
  • In high school, he spent a year admiring her from afar before he finally spoke to her.

Variants and Related Words

• Admiration (noun): A feeling of respect and approval.
  • Her talent filled me with admiration.
• Admirable (adjective): Deserving respect and approval.
  • She showed admirable courage in a difficult situation.
• Admirer (noun): A person who admires someone or something, sometimes specifically a romantic suitor.
  • She has many admirers of her artwork.

Synonyms

• Respect: To have a high opinion of someone's character or abilities.
• Look up to: To admire and regard as a model (informal).
• Appreciate: To recognize the full worth or quality of something.
• Esteem: To hold in high regard (formal).

Antonyms

• Despise: To feel contempt or a deep repugnance for.
• Look down on: To regard someone as inferior.
• Disdain: To consider unworthy of one's consideration or respect.

Idioms and Common Phrases

• I admire your nerve/guts/cheek!: An expression, often said with surprise or slight disapproval, acknowledging someone's boldness or audacity.
  • You told the boss he was wrong? I admire your nerve!

Học thuật

Verb

1. look at with admiration
2. feel admiration for

Từ đồng nghĩa

• look up to