appreciate

English

Etymology

Originated 1645–55 from Medieval Latin appreciatus (“valued or appraised”), from Late Latin appretiatus (“appraised”), from ap- (form of ad- (“towards”)) + Latin preti(um) (“price”) (English precious) + -atus.

Cognate to French apprécier. Latin root also origin of English appraise, which has various Romance cognates.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈpɹiː.ʃi.eɪt/, /əˈpɹiː.si.eɪt/, /əˈpɹɪʃ.i.eɪt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ap‧pre‧ci‧ate

Verb

appreciate (third-person singular simple present appreciates, present participle appreciating, simple past and past participle appreciated)

1. (transitive) To be grateful or thankful for.

   Synonym: esteem

   I appreciate your efforts.

   We sincerely appreciate your help.

   Any aid will be warmly appreciated.

2. (transitive) To view as valuable.

   Synonym: esteem

   You must learn to appreciate time.

3. (transitive) To be fully conscious of; understand; be aware of; detect.

   Synonym: grasp

   It is essential for the reader to appreciate how important this argument is.

   I appreciate that what I'm asking you to do is very difficult.

   • 1879, John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury, 4th Baronet, PC, DL, FRS, FRAI, Everett Mendelsohn (Donor), “Lecture I. On Flowers and Insects.”, in Scientific Lectures‎^[1], 2nd edition, Macmillan and Company, published 1890, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 12:

     In order then to test the power of bees to appreciate colour, I placed some honey on a slip of glass, and put the glass on coloured paper.

   • 2012, BioWare, Mass Effect 3, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Normandy SR-2:

     Eve: You learn to appreciate the light by living in the dark.

4. (intransitive, transitive) To increase in value.

   Antonym: depreciate

   The value of his portfolio appreciated by 80% over eight years.

   • 1809, David Ramsay, M. D., James Akin (Engraver), “IV. Fiscal history, 1670–1808.”, in The History of South-Carolina, from Its First Settlement in 1670, to the Year 1808. In Two Volumes.‎^[2], volume 2, Charleston, South Carolina: David Longworth, published 1809, →OCLC, page 173:

     The sanguine, flattering themselves with the delusive hopes of a speedy termination of the war, were often induced to sell lest a sudden peace should appreciate the money, in which case it was sup­po­sed they would lose the present opportunity of sell­ing to great advantage.

   • 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XIX, in Romance and Reality. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 234:

     Laughter may be generally classed under three heads,—forced, silly, or vulgar; but hers is the most sweet, real, spirituelle sound possible—it so appreciates the wit, which it increases as it catches—it speaks of spirits so fresh, so youthful!

Usage notes

• This is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing). See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Alternative forms

• appretiate (archaic)
• 'preciate (pronunciation spelling)

Derived terms

• appreciatable
• appreciater
• appreciator
• apprecihate
• disappreciate
• misappreciate
• much appreciated
• reappreciate
• underappreciate

 

Related terms

• appraise
• appreciation
• appreciative
• precious

Translations

to be grateful for something

• Arabic: قَدَّرَ (ar) (qaddara)
• Bulgarian: благодарен съм (blagodaren sǎm)
• Catalan: agrair (ca), apreciar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 感謝／感谢 (zh) (gǎnxiè)

• Czech: vážit si (cs), být vděčný
• Danish: værdsætte; sætte pris på
• Dutch: waarderen (nl); appreciëren (nl), dankbaar zijn voor
• Estonian: tunnustama
• Finnish: arvostaa (fi), antaa arvoa
• French: être reconnaissant de
• German: zu schätzen wissen, würdigen (de)
• Greek: εκτιμώ (el) (ektimó)
• Hebrew: העריך (he'eríkh)
• Hungarian: méltányol (hu)
• Ido: apreciar (io)
• Indonesian: berterima kasih (id)
• Irish: bheith buíoch as
• Italian: apprezzare (it), essere riconoscente
• Japanese: 感謝する (かんしゃする, kansha suru)
• Korean: 감사하다 (ko) (gamsahada)
• Latvian: vērtēt
• Lithuanian: vertinti (lt)
• Maltese: apprezza
• Maori: whakamaioha, rāhiri, ngākau whakaute
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: sette pris på

  Nynorsk: setje pris på

• Persian: قدردان بودن
• Polish: doceniać (pl) impf, docenić (pl) pf
• Portuguese: apreciar (pt), ser grato m, ser grata f, ficar agradecido m, ficar agradecida f
• Romanian: recunoscător (ro)
• Russian: быть призна́тельным (bytʹ priznátelʹnym), быть благода́рным (bytʹ blagodárnym)
• Slovak: byť vďačný za
• Slovene: biti hvaležen
• Spanish: agradecer (es), apreciar (es)
• Swedish: uppskatta (sv), sätta värde på, värdesätta (sv)
• Turkish: müteşekkir olmak, teşekkür borçlu olmak
• Ukrainian: бу́ти вдя́чним (búty vdjáčnym)
• Welsh: gwerthfawrogi (cy)
• Zulu: -bonga

to view as valuable

• Arabic: قَدَّرَ (ar) (qaddara)
• Bulgarian: оценявам (bg) (ocenjavam), ценя високо (cenja visoko)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 欣賞／欣赏 (zh) (xīnshǎng), 贊賞／赞赏 (zh) (zànshǎng), 重視／重视 (zh) (zhòngshì)

• Czech: cenit (cs), oceňovat
• Danish: værdsætte
• Dutch: naar waarde schatten, op waarde schatten, waarderen (nl)
• Esperanto: alttaksi
• Estonian: hindama
• Finnish: arvostaa (fi), pitää arvossa
• French: apprécier à sa juste valeur
• German: zu schätzen wissen, würdigen (de)
• Greek: εκτιμώ (el) (ektimó)
• Hebrew: העריך (he'eríkh), הוקיר (hokír)
• Hungarian: értékel (hu)
• Indonesian: menghargai (id)
• Irish: meas a bheith agat ar
• Italian: apprezzare (it)
• Japanese: 鑑賞する (かんしょうする, kanshō suru)
• Korean: 진가를 알다 (jin'gareul alda)
• Latvian: augstu vērtēt
• Lithuanian: įvertinti (lt)
• Maltese: japprezzah m, japprezzaha f
• Maori: kaingākaunui, rāhiri, ngākau whakaute, (whaka)maioha
• Norwegian: verdsette
• Ottoman Turkish: بگنمك (beğenmek)
• Persian: قدر دانستن (qadr dânestan)
• Polish: doceniać (pl) impf, docenić (pl) pf
• Portuguese: valorizar (pt), dar valor (pt)
• Romanian: aprecia la adevărata valoare
• Russian: оце́нивать (ru) (océnivatʹ), (высоко́ (vysokó, “highly”)) цени́ть (ru) (cenítʹ)
• Slovak: oceniť
• Slovene: ceniti zasluge
• Spanish: valorar (es)
• Swedish: sätta värde på, värdesätta (sv)
• Thai: เห็นคุณค่า
• Turkish: değerini bilmek, takdir etmek (tr), kıymet vermek (tr)
• Ukrainian: оці́нювати (ocínjuvaty), ціни́ти (uk) (cinýty)
• Welsh: gwerthfawrogi (cy)
• Zazaki: qedır zanen

to be aware of

• Arabic: عَلِمَ (ar) (ʕalima)
• Bulgarian: разбирам (bg) (razbiram), отчитам (bg) (otčitam), усещам (bg) (useštam), различавам (bg) (različavam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 懂得 (zh) (dǒngde)

• Czech: uvědomovat si
• Danish: forstå (da)
• Dutch: beseffen (nl)
• Estonian: mõistma (et)
• Finnish: ymmärtää (fi), havaita (fi), erottaa (fi)
• French: se rendre bien compte de
• German: verstehen (de), begreifen (de)
• Greek: αντιλαμβάνομαι (el) (antilamvánomai)
• Hungarian: tudatában van (hu)
• Indonesian: memahami (id), menyadari (id)
• Irish: tuig
• Italian: capire (it), rendersi conto
• Japanese: 理解する (ja) (りかいする, rikai suru)
• Korean: 이해하다 (ko) (ihaehada)
• Latvian: saprast
• Lithuanian: suprasti (lt)
• Maltese: qagħad attent minn
• Norwegian: forstå (no)
• Persian: درک کردن
• Polish: zdawać sobie sprawę (pl) impf, zdać sobie sprawę (pl) pf, rozumieć (pl) impf, zrozumieć (pl) pf
• Portuguese: compreender (pt)
• Romanian: își da seama
• Russian: принима́ть во внима́ние (prinimátʹ vo vnimánije), учи́тывать (ru) (učítyvatʹ); понима́ть (ru) (ponimátʹ) (to be fully conscious of; to consider; to be aware of); воспринима́ть (ru) (vosprinimátʹ), ощуща́ть (ru) (oščuščátʹ), ула́вливать (ru) (ulávlivatʹ) (detect); разбира́ться в (razbirátʹsja v) (to detect by mind)
• Slovak: byť si vedomý
• Slovene: zavedati se
• Spanish: comprender (es), hacerse cargo de
• Swedish: förstå (sv), vara medveten om
• Turkish: anlamak (tr)
• Ukrainian: розумі́ти (uk) (rozumíty), розбира́тися в (rozbyrátysja v)
• Welsh: sylweddoli (cy)

to increase in value

• Arabic: رَفَعَ قِيمَة (rafaʕa qīma), زَادَ فِي قِيمَة (zāda fī qīma)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 增值 (zh) (zēngzhí)

• Czech: stoupnout v ceně
• Danish: stige i værdi
• Dutch: in waarde stijgen
• Estonian: hinnas tõusma
• Finnish: nousta arvossa, kallistua (fi)
• French: prendre de la valeur
• German: im Wert steigen
• Greek: ανατιμώμαι (el) (anatimómai)
• Hungarian: felmegy az ára
• Indonesian: naik harga
• Irish: luachmhéadaigh, ardaigh
• Italian: valorizzarsi (it)
• Japanese: 値上がりする (ねあがりする, neagari suru)
• Korean: 시세가 오르다 (sisega oreuda); 가격을 올리다 (gagyeogeul ollida)
• Latvian: kļūt vērtīgākam; celties cenā
• Lithuanian: įgyti didesnę vertę, pabrangti
• Maori: piki uara
• Norwegian: stige i verdi
• Polish: drożeć (pl) impf, zdrożeć (pl) pf, zyskiwać (na wartości) impf, zyskać (na wartości) pf
• Portuguese: valorizar (pt)
• Romanian: a crește (ca valoare)
• Russian: дорожа́ть (ru) (dorožátʹ), повыша́ться в цене (povyšátʹsja v cene)
• Slovak: získať na cene
• Slovene: zrasti vrednost (čemu)
• Spanish: aumentar su valor
• Swedish: stiga (sv)
• Turkish: değeri artmak
• Ukrainian: підви́щувати ці́ну (pidvýščuvaty cínu)
• Welsh: codi mewn gwerth

References

• “appreciate”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN.
• “appreciate”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "appreciate" in the Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version), K Dictionaries limited, 2000-2006.
• “appreciate”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• "appreciate" in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003.