▪ I. admire, v.
(ædˈmaɪə(r))
[a. Fr. admire-r, a refashioning of OFr. amirer:—L. admīrā-ri to wonder at; f. ad at + mīrā-ri to wonder.]
1. intr. To feel or express surprise, or astonishment; to wonder, to marvel, to be surprised. † a. simply. Obs.
| c 1590 Greene Fr. Bacon ix. 233 Lordings, admire not if your cheer be this, For we must keep our academic fare. 1626 T. H. Caussin's Holy Crt. 7 This would make you admire, your haire stand an end, and bloud congeale in your ueynes. 1697 Molyneux in Locke's Lett. (1708) 238, I should have much more admired had they been otherwise. |
b. with at.
| 1600 Rowlands Letting of Hum. Blood i. 48 Vttring rare lyes to be admired at. 1650 Fuller Pisgah Sight ii. vi. 150 King Ahab stood admiring at the miracle. 1656 Baxter Ref. Pastor. 348 It maketh me admire at the fearful deceitfulness of the heart of man. 1708 Swift Baucis & Phil. 148 And she admir'd as much at him. 1759 Martin Nat. Hist. I. 271 Posterity may justly admire at their being demolished. 1865 Carlyle Fredk. Gt. III. viii. iv. 17 A result, which Friedrich Wilhelm not a little admires at. |
c. with subord. clause. arch. or dial.
| 1600 Holland Livy i. xli. 24 A great concourse of the People, admiring what the matter was. 1642 Fuller Holy & Prof. State ii. iii. 59 We may more admire that so beastly a drunkard lived so long. 1681 Crowne Hen. VI, iv. 38, I admire my Lord of Glocester is not come. 1694 Provid. of God 147, I admired why I should be suspected. 1701 Penn in Pa. Hist. Soc. Mem. IX. 45, I admire how thou couldst stay so long. 1794 Godwin Caleb Williams 176, I admire that the earth does not open and swallow you alive. 1848 Dickens Dombey 316 Mrs. Chick admires that Edith should be, by nature, such a perfect Dombey. |
† d. with inf. Obs. or dial. Also U.S., to like, be desirous (to do something).
| 1645 Howell England's Tears 173 The Italian admires to see a people argue themselves thus into arms. 1676 Hobbes Iliad xxiv. 386 You would admire to see him look so fresh. a 1770 J. Mecom Lett. to B. Franklin (1859) 194, I should admire to come and see and hear all about every thing. 1816 Pickering Vocab. s.v., To admire, to like very much, to be very fond of. This verb is much used in New England in expressions like the following: I should admire to go to such a place; I should admire to have such a thing, &c. 1839 Marryat Diary Amer. II. 223 ‘Have you ever been at Paris?’ ‘No; but I should admire to go.’ 1869 L. M. Alcott Little Wom. i. ix. 134, I admire to do it. 1876 B. Harte Gabriel Conroy iv. i, ‘Why didn't you come into the parlour?’ she said... ‘I didn't admire to to-night,’ returned Gabriel. 1939 J. Steinbeck Grapes of Wrath xx. 348 ‘Well, I'd admire to git a hand,’ said the young man. |
2. trans. To view with wonder or surprise; to wonder or marvel at. arch.
| c 1590 Greene Fr. Bacon ii. 40 England and Europe shall admire thy fame. 1642 Fuller Holy & Prof. State ii. ix. 83 He accounts their examples rather to be admired then imitated. 1682 Lond. Gaz. mdccxxvii/3 We cannot but admire and dread those restless Men. 1714 Addison Spect. No. 575 ¶6 How can we sufficiently admire the Stupidity or Madness of these Persons? 1738 Warburton Div. Legat. I. 68 That Disorder in the Life of Man, which Moralists so much admire. 1876 Farrar Marlb. Serm. iv. 36 One hardly knows whether most to admire the stupidity of such a degradation or to detest its guilt. |
Hence, by insensible gradations,
3. a. To regard with pleased surprise, or with wonder mingled with esteem, approbation, or affection; and in modern usage, To gaze on with pleasure.
| 1594 H. Willobie in Shaks. Cent. Praise 10 You must admire her sober grace. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. i. i. 29 We do admire This virtue, and this morall discipline. 1660 T. Stanley Hist. Philos. (1701) 31/2 Some Vulcan's and Minerva's arts admire. 1751 Harris Hermes (1841) 113 Admiring only the authors of our own age. 1807 Crabbe Par. Reg. iii. 163 Thus long she reign'd, admired, if not approved. 1860 Tyndall Glaciers i. §16. 118, I had occasion to admire the knowledge and promptness of my guide. 1878 G. Macdonald Ann. Quiet Neighb. xxx. 526 She could admire good people. |
b. To express admiration for, to praise. Also absol.
| 1833 J. Romilly Diary 16 Jan. (1967) i. 26 Harraden admired to me the beauty of his boy..—as plain as his Father. 1852 Lytton My Novel x. xiii. 231 Randal had..called twice and found her at home, and been very bland and civil, and admired the children. 1872 Geo. Eliot Middlem. III. vi. liv. 196 To an aunt who does not recognise her infant nephew as Bouddha, and has nothing to do for him but to admire, his behaviour is apt to appear monotonous. 1916 G. B. Shaw Pygmalion v. 176 You didnt thank her, or pet her, or admire her, or tell her how splendid she'd been. 1925 F. Scott Fitzgerald Great Gatsby v. 110 With enchanting murmurs Daisy admired this aspect or that of the feudal silhouette against the sky. 1940 Dylan Thomas Portrait of Artist as Young Dog 73 We walked home together. I admired his bloody nose. He said that my eye was like a poached egg, only black. 1956 C. Bush Case of Extra Man ii. vi. 80 All I ever do in the matter of her clothes is dutifully admire. 1986 Guardian 10 Dec. 1/3 Colonel North looked suitably chastened.., but seemed pleased when conservative congressmen admired his medals and praised him as a national hero. |
† 4. causal. To astonish, to surprise. Obs. rare.
| c 1650 Don Bellianis 204 A Tent..with so many gallant Devices, that it admired every beholder. |
▪ II. † adˈmire, n. Obs.
[f. the vb.]
The act of admiring, admiration.
| 1591 G. Markham Sir R. Grinuile clxvii, But with all kindnes, honor, and admire To bring him thence. 1602 Warner Albion's Eng. x. lix. (1612) 261 Natures Mynion, eyes Admier. 1613 Rowlands Knave of Hearts (N.) He thus concludes his censure for admire |