Definition of "admire" []

• To regard with pleasure, wonder, and approval. (verb-transitive)
• To have a high opinion of; esteem or respect. (verb-transitive)
• Chiefly New England & Upper Southern U.S. To enjoy (something): "I just admire to get letters, but I don't admire to answer them” ( Dialect Notes). (verb-transitive)
• Archaic To marvel or wonder at. (verb-transitive)
• New England & Upper Southern U.S. To marvel at something. Often used with at. (verb-intransitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "[1] I admire the _first_ sincerely, and in turn call upon you to _admire_ the following on Anacreon Moore's new operatic farce, [2] or farcical opera -- call it which you will:"
• "In the field of fiction the book I most admire is The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald."
• "The metamorphous stage of turning an idea into something people can appreciate and admire is truly an art form."