esteem

1 of 2

noun

es·​teem i-ˈstēm How to pronounce esteem (audio)
1
: the regard in which one is held
especially : high regard
the esteem we all feel for her
2
archaic : worth, value
3
archaic : opinion, judgment

esteem

2 of 2

verb

esteemed; esteeming; esteems

transitive verb

1
: to set a high value on : regard highly and prize accordingly
an esteemed guest
2
a
: to view as : consider
esteem it a privilege
b
3
archaic : appraise
Choose the Right Synonym for esteem

regard, respect, esteem, admire mean to recognize the worth of a person or thing.

regard is a general term that is usually qualified.

he is highly regarded in the profession

respect implies a considered evaluation or estimation.

after many years they came to respect her views

esteem implies greater warmth of feeling accompanying a high valuation.

no citizen of the town was more highly esteemed

admire suggests usually enthusiastic appreciation and often deep affection.

a friend that I truly admire

Examples of esteem in a Sentence

Noun She has won esteem for her work with cancer patients. an athlete who is held in great esteem by her peers Verb I had esteemed the whole affair to be a colossal waste of time. although the works of the Impressionist painters are esteemed today, they met with scorn when they were introduced
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Despite his missteps, Chairman Mao continues to be held in high esteem and is regarded as the father of modern China. Patrick Frater, Variety, 17 Feb. 2024 Four other burials, from babies to middle-aged men and women, also contain nearly intact remains of dogs and horses—animals not commonly eaten but held in high esteem. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024 Obviously, that work will only be more difficult if the CFPB goes down—should the Roberts court do the deed, liberals must add its demise to the larger portfolio of complaints that have driven public esteem of the court to new lows. Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 4 Nov. 2023 Certainly, not all Presidents are held in the same high esteem as the Father of our Country. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 The composer collaborated with musicians, artists and choreographers—notably, Merce Cunningham—and his ability to experiment garnered esteem. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 His high esteem for Ingmar Bergman’s stage productions had as much to do with the Swedish auteur’s boldly rigorous readings of classic texts as with the director’s concern for the human center of these plays. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2024 Although some football fans may grumble about people holding Swift in higher esteem than her boyfriend, the two seem to have no problem cheering one another on. Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 10 Feb. 2024 Yet the former athlete seemingly holds his former coach in high esteem. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2024
Verb
Historically, two-spirit individuals were esteemed as talented and respected members of their communities, often assuming roles as healers and visionaries. Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 17 Feb. 2024 Such a medium no longer esteems the vision, kineticism, and imagination of Chad Stahelski, Zack Snyder, Andrew Haigh, Tran Ahn Hung, and Wes Anderson. Armond White, National Review, 19 Jan. 2024 Some members see in their cinema a gem of opportunity and esteem; others, a sign of mission drift. Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Sep. 2023 How could those who claim to esteem traditional moral values—monogamy chief among them—support a profane libertine like Mr. Trump? Barton Swaim, WSJ, 4 Sep. 2023 These nutrient-dense superfoods have long been esteemed for their ability to fortify and support the immune system, with a rich history spanning centuries. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 4 Aug. 2023 Nevertheless, the executive producer of Surviving R. Kelly and esteemed hip-hop journalist dove back into the genre with a new lens, focusing on women. Robyn Mowatt, ELLE, 9 Aug. 2023 But investigating each of those possible suspects required the police department’s homicide squad, including the detective esteemed by his colleagues for an encyclopedic knowledge of the case dating back years. Gus Garcia-Roberts, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2023 And while our Navajo Code Talkers are esteemed for heroically saving countless lives in the South Pacific during World War II, our uranium miners have largely been overlooked. Time, 21 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'esteem.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English estemen to estimate, from Anglo-French estimer, from Latin aestimare

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of esteem was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near esteem

Cite this Entry

“Esteem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/esteem. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

esteem

1 of 2 noun
es·​teem is-ˈtēm How to pronounce esteem (audio)
: the degree of respect or liking one has for something or someone
especially : a very favorable opinion

esteem

2 of 2 verb
1
: to think of in a particular way : consider
esteem it a privilege
2
: to think very highly or favorably of

More from Merriam-Webster on esteem

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