esteem

1 of 2

noun

es·​teem i-ˈstēm 

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

: think, believe

3

archaic : appraise

Synonyms

Noun

• account
• admiration
• appreciation
• estimation
• favor
• regard
• respect

Verb

• account
• call
• consider
• count
• hold
• look (on or upon)
• rate
• reckon
• regard
• set down
• view

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

This duty granted Victorian mothers a degree of esteem; ideal mothers could obtain a limited (but heretofore absent) degree of education in their path toward piety. —Jenny Noyce, JSTOR Daily, 28 June 2024

Data suggests about 85% of the world suffers from a self confidence crisis or low self esteem at some point. —Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2024

Verb

The Popol Vuh and other Maya traditions written at the time instead indicate human sacrifice may have been esteemed or even an honor, Barquera says, part of keeping the cosmos in balance. —Byandrew Curry, science.org, 12 June 2024

Marcia Smith is esteemed both as a producer and an organization leader at Firelight Media. —Addie Morfoot, Variety, 4 Sep. 2024

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

Phrases Containing esteem

• self-esteem

Kids Definition

esteem

1 of 2 noun

es·​teem is-ˈtēm 

: 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