admiration

noun

ad·​mi·​ra·​tion ˌad-mə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce admiration (audio)
Synonyms of admiration
1
: a feeling of respect and approval
They had/felt great admiration for her courage.
2
: an object of esteem
… his perfect horsemanship … was one of my earliest admirations.—Joseph Conrad
3
archaic : wonder

Synonyms of admiration

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Examples of admiration in a Sentence

She looked at them in admiration. I have great admiration for her courage. We were filled with admiration for him. She earned the admiration of her coworkers. I have a great admiration for her courage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What readers are saying The comments reflect a mix of admiration and critique for Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural designs. — Ashley Stimpson, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026 The Country Music Hall of Famer and Kansas City have enjoyed a relationship of mutual admiration for decades. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026 Art Noir cofounder and curator Larry Ossei-Mensah spoke of his admiration for Adams’ philanthropic work. — Brianna J. Heath, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026 The agent wrote that Mohamud’s messages expressed admiration for recent terrorist attacks as well as an interest in traveling to Somalia to join ISIS. — Ellen Schmidt, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for admiration

Word History

Etymology

Middle English admiracion, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French amiracion, going back to Old French ammiration, borrowed from Latin admīrātiōn-, admīrātiō, from admīrārī "to admire" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of admiration was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing admiration

Rhymes for admiration

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Browse Nearby Words

admiralty mile
admiration
admirative
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Cite this Entry

“Admiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/admiration. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

admiration

noun
ad·​mi·​ra·​tion ˌad-mə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce admiration (audio)
1
: an object of admiring regard
2
: a feeling of great and delighted approval
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