▪ I. esteem, n.
(ɪˈstiːm)
Forms: see the vb.
[f. next: cf. Fr. estime (perh. the source), Sp., Pg. estima, It. stima.]
† 1. a. Estimate, valuation, in phr. to make an esteem. b. Estimated value, valuation. c. to put, set (an) esteem, a high, low esteem upon: to set a value upon, cause to be esteemed (highly, etc.).
| a 1528 Skelton Vox Populi 672 Of the substance of your realme..I wyll make an esteame. 1601 Shakes. All's Well v. iii. 1 We lost a Iewell of her, and our esteeme Was made much poorer by it. 1660 Webster & Rowley Cure for Cuckold ii. ii, I will deliver you in ready Coin the full and dearest esteem of what you crave. 1662 J. Bargrave Pope Alex. VII (1867) 123 But they put an esteem upon them, and I [was] made pay dear for them. 1665 Manley Grotius' Low-C. Warres 677 Here may be a Reason why valiant men should set a light esteem thereon. a 1672 Wilkins Nat. Relig. ii. vi. (1693) 363 Every one who will act rationally..must proportion his esteem of things, according to the real value of them. a 1680 Butler Rem. (1759) I. 21 The World, that never sets Esteem On what Things are, but what they seem. |
2. Estimation, opinion, judgement. Somewhat arch.
| 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. ii. i. 4 Yourself, held precious in the worlds esteeme. 1640 Fuller Joseph's Coat viii. (1867) 185 The good esteem which foreigners have conceived of the piety and learning of the Geneva ministers. 1667 Milton P.L. ix. 328 Our Foe..affronts us with his foul esteem Of our integritie. 1675 Traherne Chr. Ethics ii. 19 Perfect righteousness is a full and adequate esteem of all the value that is in things. 1836 J. Gilbert Chr. Atonem. vi. (1852) 162 In the Divine esteem, the law was not more excellent after than before atonement. |
3. Favourable opinion; regard; respect. in (much) esteem: in favour. (obs. or arch.)
| 1611 Bible Transl. Pref. 1 [It] deserueth certainly much respect and esteeme. 1650 Bulwer Anthropomet. Pref., A Camoyse Saddle-nose is in esteem. 1697 Dryden æneid (J.), Who can see, Without esteem for virtuous poverty, Severe Fabritius. 1700 ― Fables Pref., Both those poets lived in much esteem with good and holy men in orders. 1738–9 W. Richardson in Swift's Lett. (1768) IV. 219, I am ever, dear Sir, with the highest esteem and respect, etc. 1800 Cogan Philos. Treat. Passions ii. iii. (1802) 151 Esteem is the commencement of affection. 1823 Lamb Elia (1867) 43 Whist had engaged her maturer esteem. 1841–4 Emerson Ess. Self-Reliance Wks. (Bohn) I. 37 They measure their esteem of each other by what each has, and not by what each is. 1861 Geo. Eliot Silas M. 26 He was banished for ever from the sight and esteem of Nancy Lammeter. |
† 4. Account, worth; reputation; also, man, etc. of (great, etc.) esteem. Obs.
| a 1450 Knt. de la Tour 179, I hold them of none extyme. 1483 Caxton Esope (E.E.T.S) 144 Of the which wordes the labourer made lytyl extyme. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, iii. iv. 8 Fiue hundred Prisoners of esteeme. Ibid. v. v. 27 Your Highnesse is betroath'd Vnto another Lady of esteeme. 1604 Rowlands Looke to it 42 Earth's delightes shall be of no esteeme. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 106 A dreaming Oracle, long time of divine æsteam among them. 1642 Fuller Holy and Prof. St. iii. iii. 158 Others..boast of their robberies, to usurp the esteem of valour. 1673 Temple Observ. United Prov. Wks. 1731 I. 34 Men..who have pass'd through most of the Employments of State, with the Esteem of Prudence and Integrity. 1712 Hearne Collect. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.) III. 311 Whatsoever is of any Esteem with Men. 1762 J. Brown Poetry & Mus. iv. (1763) 44 The Profession of Bard or Musician would be held..of high Esteem. 1824 W. Irving T. Trav. II. 90 All these were of precious esteem, being family reliques. |
▪ II. esteem, v.
(ɪˈstiːm)
Forms: 5–6 es-, extyme, 5–7 esteme, 6–7 esteeme, (6 æsteme, extime, exsteme, exteame, 7 æsteam, estime, 8 esteam), 5– esteem. Also 5 aphet. stime.
[ad. OF. estimer (often spelt extimer), ad. L. æstimāre, of which estimate is the direct representative. Cf. Pr., Sp. and Pg. estimar, It. stimar.
The regular phonetic representative of L. æstimāre in OF. was esmer aim v. For the phonology in Eng. cf. redeem, ad. L. redim-ĕre; the sound (ɪ) under some undefined circumstances became in late ME. (eː) afterwards passing regularly into the modern (iː).]
I. To estimate value; to value.
† 1. trans. To estimate the value of, assign (a value) to; to value, assess, appraise. Const. at. In later use only fig., to assign the degree of merit of Obs.
| 1475 Caxton Jason 65 b, Ye are in valewe moche more thenne I can exteme. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon cxxiii. 440 The bed that Huon lay on..no humayne tonge can esteme the valewe therof. 1551 Bible Lev. xxvii. 17 Hys land..shalbe worthe accordinge as it is estemed. 1581 Lambarde Eiren. iv. v. (1588) 496 So of Charters..their value cannot be esteemed. 1611 Shakes. Cymb. i. iv. 85 What do you esteeme it at? 1621 Ainsworth Annot. Pentat. Lev. v. 13 The priest..was to esteeme and value all holy things. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 257 ¶8 No other Being can..esteem us according to our Merits. 1776 Sir J. Reynolds Disc. vii. (1876) 422 It is the duty of the connoisseur to know and esteem..every part of painting. |
2. To attach value (subjectively) to. a. In neutral sense, qualified variously by adverbs (highly, lightly, little, well, etc.) or phrases: To hold in (favourable or unfavourable) estimation.
In mod. use highly, little, are merely intensive or the reverse, the verb having the sense b. In the archaic to esteem lightly the original sense remains.
| 1532 More Confut. Barnes viii. Wks. 810/2 Suche apostasye..is in oure wretched dayes..little estemed. 1538 Starkey England i. i. 22 Hys vertue schold have byn otherwyse extymyd. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. v. i. 4 Mar. How is the man esteem'd heere in the Citie? Gold. Of very reuerent reputation sir. a 1600 Hooker (J.), They..esteem highly profound wisdom. c 1600 Shakes. Sonn. xcvi, On the finger of a throned Queene The basest Jewell wil be well esteem'd. 1772 Sir W. Jones Ess. i. (1777) 184 Yet Sadi's poems are highly esteemed at Constantinople. 1783 Cowper Lett. 12 May, If I can tell you no news I can tell you at least that I esteem you highly. |
b. In favourable sense: To regard as valuable; to think highly of; to feel regard for, respect (persons or their qualities; now chiefly with reference to moral characteristics).
| 1530 Palsgr. 540/1 Wene you that men shall estyme you for your fayre eyes. 1620 Shelton Quix. IV. ii. 11 Every Man bears with the rich man's Follies..have much and thou shalt be esteem'd much. a 1704 T. Brown Sat. Antients Wks. (1730) I. 24 All this does not hinder me from esteeming the great men that live now. 1772 Sir W. Jones Ess. i. (1777) 183 Those authors who are generally esteemed in Persia. 1815 Jane Austen Emma i. viii, If he had never esteemed my opinion before, he would have thought highly of me then. 1863 Fawcett Pol. Econ. iii. v. 350 Gold and silver have always been sufficiently rare to be esteemed for their scarcity. |
† c. To think much of, regard as important. Obs.
| 1570 R. Ascham Scholem. Pref. (Arb.) 23, I..shall not moch æsteme the misliking of any others. 1631 T. May tr. Barclay's Mirr. Mindes i. 202 They can also entertaine long friendship, and, where they truely loue, esteeme no dangers in respect of that sacred league. |
† d. intr. To have a (more or less favourable) opinion of (on). Obs.
| 1583 W. Hunnis Seven Sobs 5 We little doo esteeme thereof. 1585 Abp. Sandys Serm. (1841) 315 This were a cause sufficient to esteem of marriage highly. 1589 Spenser Let. to Raleigh Wks. (Globe) 3 Seeing..nothing esteemed of, that is not delightfull and pleasing to commune sence. 1612 Woodall Surg. Mate Wks. (1653) Pref. 13 He that light thereof esteems May leave the book unbought. 1648 E. Calamy Pref. to Roberts' Clavis Bibl. 6 The Author of it is..well known, and very well esteemed on in this famous City. 1670–98 R. Lassels Voy. Italy I. 19 They esteem very much of Chesnuts roasted. 1697 Potter Antiq. Greece II. Index, Self-murder, how esteem'd of. |
II. To estimate generally; to deem, think.
† 3. trans. To estimate; to form or pronounce a (usually approximate) judgement respecting the number, quantity, or magnitude of (anything). Const. at, to (an amount); also simply. See estimate v. 2. Obs.
| c 1460 Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1714) 42 The expensys of which Houshold may sone be estemyd by thes, which of old time have byn Officers theryn. 1481 Caxton Myrr. iii. xv. 170 A place..so ful of spyrites..that they coude not be nombred ne estemed. c 1500 Melusine 117 They extimed them þat had lodged there to the nombre of xxx thousand men. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. clv. 187 The finance to pay the wages of so many men of warre was estemed to l. M. li. parisiens. 1559–66 Hist. Estate Scot. Wodr. Soc. Misc. (1844) 58 The brethren who came to Lt. Johnstone were esteemed to four or five thousand men. |
† b. with the amount as complement, or introduced by to be. Obs.
| a 1512 Fabyan Chron. (1811) Pref. 8 Suche money as shall remayn..I estyme to be every yere xiid. 1612 Brerewood Lang. & Relig. iii. 17 A learned man hath esteemed them [the inhabitants of Rome].. to have been no less then three or four millions. 1673 Ray Journ. Low C. 109 The Citizens [Ausburgh] are divided between Papists and Lutherans, these latter being esteemed double the number of the former. 1696 Whiston Th. Earth. iv. (1722) 334, I esteem the Upper Crust to be not above 50 or 100 miles deep. 1717 Berkeley Jrnl. Tour Italy Wks. 1871 IV. 589 The great torrent in the widest part 3 miles broad esteemed. |
† 4. In wider sense: To judge of; to form an opinion of. Also with obj. sentence. Obs.
| 1534 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. viii, For to esteme the thyng that he had doone, and to puruey for that he had to do. 1535 E. Harvel in Ellis Orig. Lett. ii. 115 II. 71 By al the next monith I stime that his labor shal take end. 1551 Robinson tr. More's Utop. ii. (Arb.) 124 Al the resydewe of the woomans bodye beinge couered with cloothes, they esteme her scaselye be one handebredeth. 1592 West Symbol. i. i. §12 It is to be esteemed whether they may be said to be Contracts named or un-named. 1624 Bedell Lett. iv. 79 What anger and shame this was to the Popish faction, I leaue it to you to esteeme. |
5. To account, consider, think, hold (a thing to be so and so). With simple complement; less frequently with as or to be; rarely const. † for.
| 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W.) 211 The people esteme & take vs as the mynistres of Chryst. 1530 Palsgr. 539/2, I esteme my selfe better than I am. 1534 Whittinton Tullyes Offices i. (1540) 1 Nor I wolde thou shulde exteme this to be sayd of arrogaunce. 1538 Starkey England i. i. 13 Lawful increse of the pepul ys, among al men..estymyd vertue and honesty. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. iii. ii. 353 This their iangling I esteeme a sport. 1628 Hobbes Thucyd. (1822) 104 Esteeming these virtues to be in me. 1667 Pepys Diary (1879) IV. 348 To have all that I shall buy, or do, esteemed as got by the death of my uncle. 1671 H. M. tr. Erasmus' Colloq. 453 Wouldest thou not esteem that Alchymist for a god, who were able, etc. 1708 J. Chamberlayne St. Gt. Brit. ii. i. i. (1743) 290 St. Patrick is esteemed to have been made the first bishop of the Scots. 1739 Hume Hum. Nat. I. Introd., To hope we shall arrive at it [truth] without pains..must certainly be esteemed sufficiently vain. 1790 Gibbon Misc. Wks. (1814) V. 171 The small islands of the..Pacific..may be esteemed as some of the most agreeable spots on the globe. 1818 Jas. Mill Brit. India II. v. ii. 374 The majority of the Council esteemed the evidence of the charge complete. 1845 S. Austin Ranke's Hist. Ref. II. 299 The imperialists..esteemed themselves happy to escape without a beating. |
† b. intr. To account of, have (such or such) an opinion of. Obs. Cf. 2 c.
| 1576 Fleming Panopl. Ep. 268 Know you that I esteeme of him, as of my friend. 1590 Greene Orpharion 47 Avicen said that love was a fury: how didst thou esteeme of this but as an axiome? 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. ii. iii. 149 We haue alwayes truly seru'd you, and beseech' So to esteeme of vs. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts N.T. 111 Esteem of things as they really are. |
c. With subord. clause. To think, be of opinion, suppose that.
| 1548 R. Hutten Sum of Diuinitie E 4 a, We esteme verely that we haue the benifytes of the gospel for hys sake. 1645 Ussher Body Div. (1647) 138 Their blindnesse..esteemed that the shaddow or thicknesse of trees would hide them from the face of God. 1654 Earl of Orrery Parthenissa (1676) 305 Which blemish the King esteem'd the Marriage would deface. 1765 Blackstone Comm. Introd. 4 Esteeming, that the best return..for your favourable opinon..will be, etc. |
† 6. To purpose, aim, intend. Obs. rare.
| 1534 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1539) 4 a, This Emperoure estemed to haue the knowlage of payntyng..He trauayled also to knowe the arte of Nygromancye. 1557 North Gueuara's Dial. Pr. 229 b/1 The noble and valiaunt hartes do not esteme to lose the rewarde of their laboure. |