Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

appreciate

American  
[uh-pree-shee-eyt] / əˈpri ʃiˌeɪt /

verb (used with object)

appreciated, appreciating
  1. to be grateful or thankful for.

    They appreciated his thoughtfulness.

  2. to value or regard highly; place a high estimate on.

    to appreciate good wine.

  3. to be fully conscious of; be aware of; detect.

    to appreciate the dangers of a situation.

  4. to raise in value.


verb (used without object)

appreciated, appreciating
  1. to increase in value.

    Property values appreciated yearly.

appreciate British  
/ əˈpriːʃɪˌeɪt, -sɪ- /

verb

  1. to feel thankful or grateful for

    to appreciate a favour

  2. (may take a clause as object) to take full or sufficient account of

    to appreciate a problem

  3. to value highly

    to appreciate Shakespeare

  4. (usually intr) to raise or increase in value

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What are other ways to say appreciate? To appreciate something is to value or regard it highly. How is appreciate different from esteem, value, and prize? Learn more on Thesaurus.com. 

Other Word Forms

  • appreciatingly adverb
  • appreciator noun
  • self-appreciating adjective
  • unappreciating adjective

Etymology

Origin of appreciate

First recorded in 1645–55; from Medieval Latin appreciātus “valued, appraised,” from Late Latin appretiātus, past participle of appretiāre “to appraise” (equivalent to Latin ap- ap- 1 + preti(um) price + -ātus -ate 1 )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"To be able to look at these things and appreciate the beauty," James says, "the majesty and the scale of it - it's just amazing."

From BBC

“We design for transit riders, but we can appreciate that the internet will always do what the internet does.”

From Los Angeles Times

Cooper herself appreciates how sequels arrive so quickly.

From BBC

Those fonder of Hawthorne the magical realist will have plenty to appreciate as well, not least of which that Donatello’s true ancestry—whether human or faun—is never definitively established.

From The Wall Street Journal

But he mostly appreciates that Pasadena is “a very diverse town and just a beautiful town,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times