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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

admiration en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˌæd.məˈɹeɪ.ʃən/ (UK, US)
  • (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English admiracion, borrowed from Middle French admiration, or directly from Latin admīrātiō, from prefix ad- (“to, towards”) + mīrō (“to look at”) + -ātiō. Compare the verb admire, and US dialectal terms miration and mirate.

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) A positive emotion combining wonder and approbation; the regarding of another as being wonderful; a feeling of respect for another's skills or attributes, as one might look on a hero or role model.
    • You only had my interest before. Now you have my admiration. 1932, Jules Furthman, Shanghai Express, spoken by Henry Chang (Warner Oland):
    • For in this Instance, Life most exactly resembles the Stage, since it is often the same Person who represents the Villain and the Heroe; and he who engages your Admiration To-day, will probably attract your Contempt To-Morrow. 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter 1, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book VII, pages 4-5:
    • They looked at the landscape in admiration.
    • [I]n the towns, the storekeepers hated them because they had no money to spend. There is no shorter path to a storekeeper’s contempt, and all his admirations are exactly opposite. The town men, little bankers, hated Okies because there was nothing to gain from them. 1939 April 14, John Steinbeck, chapter 19, in The Grapes of Wrath, New York, N.Y.: The Viking Press, →OCLC, page 242:
    • Dr. Veraswami had a passionate admiration for the English, which a thousand snubs from Englishmen had not shaken. 1934 October, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter 3, in Burmese Days, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, →OCLC:
    • admiration of a war hero
    • Equally I can stand in a station like Lucerne in Switzerland, and watch with ill-concealed admiration the majestic entry of one of the latest Gotthard "Ae 6/6" electrics, packing 6,000 horsepower within its 60 ft. of length and 121 tons of weight, with its sleek dark green sides and handsome stainless steel bands and front wings. 1955 April, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 261:
    • A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment. 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter 6, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:
  2. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) Wondering or questioning (without any particular positive or negative attitude to the subject).
    • Lear. Your name, fair gentlewoman? Goneril. This admiration, sir, is much o’ th’ savour Of other your new pranks. c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:
    • And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 17:6:
    • […] Admiration seized All Heaven, what this might mean, and whither tend, Wondering; 1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 270-272:
  3. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) Cause of admiration; something to excite wonder, or pleased surprise.
    • Now, good Lafeu, Bring in the admiration; that we with thee May spend our wonder too, or take off thine By wondering how thou took’st it. c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act ALL'S WELL, scene ii], page 1:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
admirations Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

mark of admiration · self-admiration · note of admiration · mutual admiration society · admirational

Synonyms

approval (positive emotion including wonder and approbation) · adoration (positive emotion including wonder and approbation) · reverence (positive emotion including wonder and approbation) · appreciation (positive emotion including wonder and approbation) · worship (positive emotion including wonder and approbation) · wonder (positive emotion including wonder and approbation)

Translations (64)

lb Bewonnerung (adoration; appreciation) · ast almiración (adoration; appreciation) · fr admiration (adoration; appreciation) · cmn 佩服 (adoration; appreciation) · ro admirare (adoration; appreciation) · pap atmirashon (adoration; appreciation) · pt admiração (adoration; appreciation) · pl podziw (adoration; appreciation) · mwl admirança (adoration; appreciation) · cmn 欽佩 /钦佩 (adoration; appreciation) · ja 賞賛 (adoration; appreciation) · sk obdiv (adoration; appreciation) · cmn 贊賞 /赞赏 (adoration; appreciation) · gl admiración (adoration; appreciation) · kmr heyranî (adoration; appreciation) · da beundring (adoration; appreciation) · de Bewunderung (adoration; appreciation) · ar إِعْجَاب (adoration; appreciation) · ja 感心 (adoration; appreciation) · nl bewondering (adoration; appreciation) · sh дивљење (adoration; appreciation) · tr hayranlık (adoration; appreciation) · hi उपमा (adoration; appreciation) · az valeholma (adoration; appreciation) · hy հիացմունք (adoration; appreciation) · ru восхище́ние (adoration; appreciation) · ro admirație (adoration; appreciation) · sw abos (adoration; appreciation) · la admīrātiō (adoration; appreciation) · sh divljenje (adoration; appreciation) · uk захо́плення (adoration; appreciation) · pl admiracja (adoration; appreciation) · ru восто́рг (adoration; appreciation) · cs obdiv (adoration; appreciation) · cy edmygedd (adoration; appreciation) · eo admiro (adoration; appreciation) · hu csodálat (adoration; appreciation) · et imetlus (adoration; appreciation) · he פֶּלֶא (adoration; appreciation) · bg адмира́ция (adoration; appreciation) · oc admiracion (adoration; appreciation) · th การชื่นชม (adoration; appreciation) · tl paghanga (adoration; appreciation) · it ammirazione (adoration; appreciation) · lv apbrīna (adoration; appreciation) · no beundring (adoration; appreciation) · hu rajongás (adoration; appreciation) · sv beundran (adoration; appreciation) · mn гайхал (adoration; appreciation) · eo admirado (adoration; appreciation) · fi ihailu (adoration; appreciation) · es admiración (adoration; appreciation) · el θαυμασμός (adoration; appreciation) · bg възхище́ние (adoration; appreciation) · sq admirim (adoration; appreciation) · ko 감탄 (adoration; appreciation) · ca admiració (adoration; appreciation) · vi sự khâm phục (adoration; appreciation) · hi तारीफ़ (adoration; appreciation) · fa تحسین (adoration; appreciation) · hi सफत (adoration; appreciation) · mwl admiraçon (adoration; appreciation) · hu bámulat (adoration; appreciation) · fy bewûndering (adoration; appreciation)