Admirable

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈæd.məɹ.ə.bəl/

Definitions

1. Worthy of respect and approval due to excellent qualities or actions
2. Deserving of high regard and esteem for exhibiting commendable traits or deeds
3. Earning respect and admiration because of outstanding characteristics or actions

Etymology: "Admirable" descends from Latin "admirari", to wonder at or marvel over, and its root sense is closer to being struck with wonder than to giving praise. The Latin verb combined "ad-" (toward) with "mirari" (to wonder), the same stem that gave English "miracle" and "mirror" through other routes. The adjective "admirabilis" meant worthy of wonder, and it reached Middle English as "admyrable" partly directly from Latin and partly through Old French "admirable". Modern English "admire" follows the same arc, so the adjective is a straightforward formation from "admire" plus the suffix "-able", meaning capable of being or deserving to be. What once described something that caused astonishment now describes conduct that earns esteem. The meaning shifted from the feeling a sight produces in the observer to the quality that justifies that feeling.

Synonyms: commendable, praiseworthy

Antonyms: disgraceful