What does “esteem” mean?
- 1
nounrespect and admiration for someone
She is held in high esteem by her colleagues.
- 2
verbto respect and admire someone greatly, formally
He was esteemed as a wise leader.
Esteem at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun & verb
- CEFR level
- C1 (advanced)
- Pronunciation
- /ɪˈstim/ · ih-STEEM
How to use “esteem” correctly
“Self-esteem” (confidence in your own worth) is the most common use. The verb is rare and formal.
Common phrases with “esteem”
- hold sb in high esteem
- self-esteem
- a token of esteem
- esteemed colleague
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- respect
- admiration
- regard
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- contempt
- disrespect
Word family
- self-esteem
- esteemed
- estimable
“esteem” is on these word lists
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