admiration

noun

ad·​mi·​ra·​tion ˌad-mə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce admiration (audio)
Synonyms of admirationnext
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

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.
While the song marks the first collaboration between Gaga and Doechii, both have expressed admiration for the other. Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 1 May 2026 In her opening remarks onstage at the Academy of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, Carson expressed her deep admiration for those who work to make movies come to life. Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026 Speaking about their mutual admiration for one another, Gaga praised her collaborator. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026 Let’s not confuse slightly horrified admiration for Irina’s determination with admiration for her as a person. Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 24 Apr. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Admiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/admiration. Accessed 7 May. 2026.

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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