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admire

Etymology and origin of the English word admire

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
early 15th century
Borrowed from
Middle French admirer
Ultimate origin
Latin (admirari)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: UK /ədˈmaɪə/, US /ədˈmaɪ.ɚ/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Middle French admirer, a Latinized correction of earlier amirer,[2][3][4] or directly from Latin admīrārī, to regard with wonder, be astonished,[2][4][5] from ad-, at, and mīrārī, to wonder (see miracle), from mīrus, wonderful.[2][4][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

To regard with wonder, marvel at: the early 15th century in Etymonline, implied in admired;[2] the late 16th century in Hoad, about 1590 in the OED.[4][7]

Semantic evolution

The sense has gradually weakened from wonder to regarding with pleasure and esteem, though for a time the two overlapped;[2] Campion (1601) plays on both in “Doe not admire why I admire”.[2] The intransitive sense, to wonder at, is from 1600 and is now archaic or dialectal,[7] and in American dialect admire to means to like to (1645).[7] Admirable and admiration are from the 15th century.[4]

Timeline

  • early 15th century – admired, wondered at.[2]
  • 15th century – admiration, admirable.[4]
  • c. 1590 – to wonder at.[7]
  • 1645 – admire to, like to (US dialect).[7]

Modern meaning

Verb

  1. To regard with respect, pleasure and approval; to esteem.
  2. To look at with pleasure: to admire the view.
  3. (archaic) To wonder or marvel at.

Word family

  • admirer
  • admiringly
  • admirable
  • unadmired
  • admiration

References

  1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d e f Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
  7. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Admire.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/admire. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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