Admire.
Synonyms:
| adore, | delight in, | extol, | respect, | venerate, |
| applaud, | enjoy, | honor, | revere, | wonder. |
| approve, | esteem, | love, | ||
In the old sense of wonder, admire is practically obsolete; the word now expresses a delight and approval, in which the element of wonder unconsciously mingles. We admire beauty in nature and art, delight in the innocent happiness of children, enjoy books or society, a walk or a dinner. We approve what is excellent, applaud heroic deeds, esteem the good, love our friends. We honor and respect noble character wherever found; we revere and venerate it in the aged. We extol the goodness and adore the majesty and power of God.
Antonyms:
| abhor, | contemn, | detest, | execrate, | ridicule, |
| abominate, | despise, | dislike, | hate, | scorn. |
Preposition:
Admire at may still very rarely be found in the old sense of wonder at.