admire

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An admire is someone who really likes and respects something or someone. They might think that thing or person is perfect in some way.

When people say they admire something, it usually means they have a deep appreciation for it. For example, if you meet someone who's very passionate about music, they might say "I admire Beethoven's symphonies" which means they love and respect his work as a composer. They're not just saying he was good at his job; they think what he did is amazing and inspiring in some way.

People often use the word admire when talking about art, music, or literature. For instance, you might say "I admire Van Gogh's paintings" which means you think they're beautiful and expressive. Others might use it to talk about people who do great things, like saying "I admire Nelson Mandela for his courage in fighting against apartheid". The idea is that the person admiring something thinks it's truly special or impressive.

How common is "admire"?

Word admire is considered uncommon in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

verb

(obsolete, transitive) To be amazed at; to view with surprise; to marvel at.
(transitive) To regard with wonder and delight.
(transitive) To look upon with an elevated feeling of pleasure, as something which calls out approbation, esteem, love or reverence.
(transitive) To estimate or value highly; to hold in high esteem.
Example: to admire a person of high moral worth
(US, dialectal, rare) To be enthusiastic about (doing something); to want or like (to do something). (Sometimes followed by to.)

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