Admire Synonym List: Respect, Look Up To, Esteem, Revere

Your choice of admire synonym reveals if you respect a person, approve of something they did, or simply enjoy looking at a view. Respect, look up to and esteem cover people; appreciate and applaud cover qualities and actions; gaze at and wonder at cover sights.

Admire is warm but mild. In thank-you notes, tributes and personal statements you may want something stronger or more precise, and the swaps below are ordered so you can turn the warmth up or down. Forms such as admired, admiring and admiration are covered near the end.

Swatch at a glance

Best swaps
respect, look up to, esteem, appreciate, revere
Part of speech
Verb
Most formal
esteem, venerate, commend
Most casual
rate, be a big fan of
Strongest
revere, venerate, idolize
Antonyms
despise, scorn, look down on
Watch out
Envy is not a synonym. It adds a wish to have what the other person has.
Word forms covered
admired, admiring, admiration, admirable

Three things you can admire

Ask what is being admired, then pick from that row.

Object	Swaps	Example
A person	respect, look up to, think highly of, esteem	The whole class looks up to Mr. Patel.
A quality or action	appreciate, applaud, commend, salute	We applaud your patience with the move.
A sight or object	gaze at, wonder at, take in	Tourists stopped to take in the old bridge.

An admire synonym for every strength

Read the five swatches left to right and the feeling deepens. Like is friendly but light. Appreciate adds thought: you notice the effort. Respect is about worth and trust. Look up to suggests a role model, often someone older or more experienced. Revere sits near worship and suits saints, founders and legends, not a helpful coworker.

Idolize and hero-worship are just as strong but carry a hint that the admiration may be a bit blind.

Admire, rewritten in context

I admire your courage becomes I respect your courage or, warmer, I am in awe of your courage.
Students admire their coach becomes students look up to their coach.
We admire the work your team did becomes we commend the work your team did.
She stood admiring the sunset becomes she stood gazing at the sunset.
He is widely admired becomes he is highly regarded.
Fans admire the band becomes fans idolize the band (stronger, less critical).

Inside a farewell card: "I really admire how you run the clinic." Changing it to "I have huge respect for how you run the clinic" sounds more heartfelt, while "Your leadership of the clinic inspires me" gives credit to the person directly. The inspire synonyms page offers similar credit-giving verbs.

Writing a tribute, review or reference

Tributes and speeches: revere, honor and hold in the highest regard suit someone being remembered or celebrated. See honor synonyms for ceremony words.

References and reviews: commend, think highly of and value sound professional. "I think highly of her judgment" reads well in a letter of recommendation.

Casual chat: rate (mainly British), be a big fan of and really dig (dated slang) keep things light.

Admired, admiring, admiration, admirable

Admired as an adjective trades places with respected, esteemed, celebrated and well-regarded. Admiring (an admiring glance) becomes appreciative, approving or adoring. The noun admiration becomes respect, esteem, regard, praise or awe. Admirable becomes praiseworthy, commendable, impressive or worthy.

An admirable effort becomes a commendable effort.
She earned their admiration becomes she earned their respect.

Close, but not the same feeling

Envy mixes admiration with wanting what someone has. Adore leans toward love and affection, so it fits a grandchild better than a scientist. Worship is religious or deeply devoted, too strong for most praise. Fancy in British English can mean romantic attraction, which may not be the message you want.

The opposite of admire

Despise and scorn are strong and emotional. Look down on and disdain suggest feeling superior. Dislike is the mild, neutral choice. Deride and sneer at describe showing contempt out loud. Our emotion vocabulary section lists further verbs of regard and contempt.

Frequently asked questions

Respect versus admire: what separates them?

Respect is about recognizing worth, and you can respect someone you do not like. Admire adds warmth and a sense that you would like to be similar in some way.

Which admire synonym is strongest?

Revere and venerate are the strongest. Idolize is equally strong but suggests the admiration may be uncritical.

Is look up to too casual for a speech?

No. It is friendly and clear, and it suits speeches about mentors, parents and teachers. For a formal tribute, hold in high regard is a polished option.

How should a reference letter phrase admiration?

Use think highly of, hold in high esteem or commend. Pair the verb with a specific quality, such as her judgment under pressure.

Despise, scorn or dislike: which is the antonym?

All three are antonyms at different strengths. Dislike is mild, look down on is moderate, and despise is the strongest.

Can appreciate replace admire for art?

Yes. Appreciate suggests understanding the skill behind a painting or song, while admire focuses more on the pleasure of seeing it.