Meaning & use

esteem

noun·Academic

Respect and admiration felt for someone because of their qualities or achievements.

See it in a sentence

The retiring professor was held in high esteem by generations of former students.

Her colleagues' esteem grew after she handled the crisis with such calm confidence.

A note on using this word

Esteem is often used with high or low, and self-esteem refers specifically to how much someone respects themselves.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. verb

To regard someone or something with great respect and admiration.

Colleagues esteemed her judgment so much that they rarely questioned her decisions.

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