admire - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Middle English admyren, borrowed from Middle French admirer, from Latin admīror, from ad + mīror (“wonder at”).

(Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ədˈmaɪə/
(General American) IPA(key): /ədˈmaɪɹ/
(Canada, idle-idol split) IPA(key): /ədˈmʌɪɹ/
Hyphenation: ad‧mire
Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ)

admire (third-person singular simple present admires, present participle admiring, simple past and past participle admired)

(obsolete, transitive) To be amazed at; to view with surprise; to marvel at.
- 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 2, member 4:
  The poor fellow, admiring how he came there, was served in state all day long […].
- 1640, Thomas Fuller, The Holy State:
  examples rather to be admired than imitated
(transitive) To regard with wonder and delight.
- c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii:
  kings ſhall crouch vnto our conquering ſwords,
  And hoſtes of Souldiers ſtand amazd at vs,
  When with their fearfull tongues they ſhall confeſſe
  Theſe are the men that al the world admires,
(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.
to admire a person of high moral worth
to admire a landscape
He'd always been (very) much admired by his colleagues.
- 2000, Marshall Mathers (Eminem), “The Way I Am”, in The Marshall Mathers LP:
  I'm so sick and tired of bein' admired. That I wish that I would just die or get fired.
(US, dialectal, rare) To be enthusiastic about (doing something); to want or like (to do something). (Sometimes followed by to.)
- 1953, Arthur Miller, The Crucible:
  I'm not sayin' she's touched the Devil, now, but I'd admire to know what books she reads and why she hides them — she'll not answer me, y' see.
- 1976, Field & Stream, page 10:
  And I'd admire seeing this creek become a sort of stopping place for geese of one sort and another.
- 2002, Jack Jones, Iron Spur, →ISBN, page 37:
  “I hope you do. I'd admire seeing a lot of you.” They made camp down at the creek. Will spread her blanket not too far from his. “Well, aren't you a lady's man.” “Why do you say that?”