admiration

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˌæd.məˈɹeɪ.ʃən/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun[edit]

admiration (countable and uncountable, plural admirations)

  1. A positive emotion including wonder and approbation; the regarding of another as being wonderful
    admiration of a war hero
    They looked at the landscape in admiration.
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter 1, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, [], →OCLC, book 7, pages 4-5:
      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.
    • 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter 6, in Pride and Prejudice: [], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: [] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, [], →OCLC:
      A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.
    • 1934 October, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter 3, in Burmese Days, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, →OCLC:
      Dr. Veraswami had a passionate admiration for the English, which a thousand snubs from Englishmen had not shaken.
    • 1939 April 14, John Steinbeck, chapter 19, in The Grapes of Wrath, New York, N.Y.: The Viking Press, →OCLC; Compass Books edition, New York, N.Y.: The Viking Press, 1967, →OCLC:
      [] in 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.
  2. (obsolete) Wondering or questioning (without any particular positive or negative attitude to the subject).
  3. (obsolete) Cause of admiration; something to excite wonder, or pleased surprise.

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin admirātiōnem.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

admiration f (plural admirations)

  1. admiration
    • Plein d’admiration pour son adversaire, chacun lève sa propre visière : "Elsseneur ! ...", "Réginald ! ..."
      Full of admiration for his enemy, each raised his own visor: "Elsinore!" ... "Reginald!" ...
      (Les Chants de Maldoror - Chant V)

Descendants[edit]

  • Bulgarian: адмира́ция (admirácija)

Further reading[edit]

Scots[edit]

Noun[edit]

admiration (plural admirations)

  1. admiration

References[edit]