respect 1 of 2

noun

ri-ˈspekt How to pronounce respect (audio)
Definition of respectnext
1
as in admiration
a feeling of great approval and liking I have a lot of respect for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s steadfast courage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in regard
relation to or concern with something specified with respect to your application

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in regards
respects plural best wishes give your mother my respects

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

respect

2 of 2

verb

ri-ˈspekt How to pronounce respect (audio)
as in to admire
to think very highly or favorably of an upstanding senator who is respected by political allies and foes alike

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb respect contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of respect are admire, esteem, and regard. While all these words mean "to recognize the worth of a person or thing," respect implies a considered evaluation or estimation.

after many years they came to respect her views

When can admire be used instead of respect?

While in some cases nearly identical to respect, admire suggests usually enthusiastic appreciation and often deep affection.

a friend that I truly admire

When could esteem be used to replace respect?

The words esteem and respect can be used in similar contexts, but esteem implies greater warmth of feeling accompanying a high valuation.

no citizen of the town was more highly esteemed

When might regard be a better fit than respect?

The words regard and respect are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, regard is a general term that is usually qualified.

he is highly regarded in the profession

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of respect
Noun
Even the biggest of you SEC homers know that LSU shouldn't be getting this sort of respect. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026 In some respects, Mann’s production company Dhar Mann Studios is starting to resemble the legacy studios whose foundations are being shaken by creators like him. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
With earnings approaching, the key question is whether JPM can once again respect this support level and begin another advance. — Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026 The design by m2atelier respected this botanical heritage, restoring the garden’s original structure while allowing the landscape to guide many decisions. — Elena Dallorso, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for respect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for respect
  1. admiration
  2. regard
  3. regards
  4. admire
  5. appreciation
  6. reference
  7. greetings
  8. appreciate
Noun
  • What readers are saying The conversation explores the personal journey of the author in managing OCD, with many participants expressing admiration for the author's self-awareness and bravery in seeking help.
    — Eva Jaber, 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
Definition of admiration
Noun
  • The Nielsen numbers for Season 3 are especially intriguing in that regard.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Artificial’s timeliness in that regard is striking, even disturbing.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of regard
Noun
  • Today chaos gives bad people the opportunity to advance their own nefarious agendas with little regards for the American people.
    — Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The plaintiffs argued the ballot language was misleading in several regards.
    — Joshua Ceballos, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of regards
Verb
  • Ellison is said to genuinely admire Weiss and her vision, which is premised on appealing to a silent majority of Americans who are not far left or far right, and being somewhat contrarian or against the grain.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The Chicago White Sox first baseman took a couple of seconds to admire the blast, then tossed the bat and turned to his teammates in the dugout, yelling in excitement.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of admire
Noun
  • Both father and son expressed an appreciation for Korean cinema.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Growing up down south forever shapes your language, work ethic, appreciation for how hard life can be and so much more.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of appreciation
Noun
  • By uniting Eastern cultural references, uncompromising craftsmanship, and conscious sustainability, Songmont continues to cultivate a distinct cultural identity and voice on the global stage.
    — Footwear News, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The expert panel also found insufficient data to set strict healthy reference ranges for the abundance of individual microbial species, and discouraged testing companies from offering therapeutic advice based on results.
    — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of reference
Noun
  • The service From the lilting sawatdeekas to the wai greetings at every turn—the service here is textbook Thai.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • About a half hour later, Faulkner and Sumrall embraced in the locker room hallway, one of the head honcho’s many greetings.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of greetings
Verb
  • While allowing red fuel isn't going to solve all problems, as mentioned here previously, the temporary diesel policy is appreciated by diesel users.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • History and architecture lovers will appreciate that the wood trim and carved detailing remain untouched.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of appreciate

Phrases Containing respect

Browse Nearby Words

resources
respect
respectability
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Respect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/respect. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All