appreciate

appreciate — verb

1. to feel thankful for something kind that someone has done, or to want to tell th

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to feel thankful for something kind that someone has done, or to want to tell them so.

Example

Grandpa really appreciated the soup Anita brought over during his cold.

appreciate + noun (a kind act)

We appreciate you driving the children to school every Monday morning.

appreciate + -ing form for someone's repeated kindness

Common collocations
  • really appreciate
  • very much appreciate
  • appreciate your help
  • appreciate the gesture
  • appreciate everything you've done
Synonyms
  • thank

    more direct; addressed to the person, not the deed

  • be grateful for

    slightly more emotional, often used in writing

Antonyms
  • resent

    feel annoyed about a kindness, often because of strings attached

Grammar Patterns

appreciate + noun (someone's help)

appreciate + -ing

Usage Note

Object is something done for the speaker (help, gift, time). Often paired with adverbs really, truly, very much. Distinguish from sense 4: when followed by 'it' + would/will, the speaker is making a polite request rather than thanking after the fact.

Common Mistakes

I am appreciate your help.
I appreciate your help.
appreciate is a verb on its own; do not add 'be' before it.
I appreciate for your help.
I appreciate your help.
no preposition between appreciate and the thing you are thankful for.

2. to enjoy or notice what is fine in a person, an artwork, or an experience, and t

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to enjoy or notice what is fine in a person, an artwork, or an experience, and to feel that those strengths matter.

Example

Mei truly appreciates her grandmother's hand-painted teacups from Jingdezhen.

appreciate + concrete object as direct object

Saoirse has learned to appreciate jazz since taking lessons with Ms. Rivera.

appreciate + abstract noun (genre/art form)

Common collocations
  • fully appreciate
  • truly appreciate
  • appreciate the beauty of
  • appreciate the quality of
Synonyms
  • value

    plainer and more general; works for tangible items too

  • treasure

    stronger emotional attachment, often personal keepsakes

  • admire

    focuses on outward respect, less about quiet enjoyment

Antonyms
  • disregard

    actively ignore or treat as unimportant

  • scorn

    stronger; reject with contempt

Grammar Patterns

appreciate + noun phrase

Usage Note

Object is usually a person, art form, skill, or quality (music, food, hard work). Distinguish from sense 3: this sense is about valuing something good, not about grasping a fact or situation.

Common Mistakes

I appreciate that the painting is old.
I appreciate the painting's age and craftsmanship.
this sense takes a noun phrase about something valuable, not a that-clause about a fact.

3. to come to see clearly how serious, complicated, or important a situation is, of

3.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

to come to see clearly how serious, complicated, or important a situation is, often after thinking it through.

Example

The new manager soon appreciated how fragile the team's trust had become.

appreciate + how-clause showing a complex situation

Lin did not appreciate the danger until the river rose past her knees.

appreciate + abstract noun (danger, risk, scale)

Common collocations
  • fully appreciate
  • appreciate the significance of
  • appreciate the gravity of
  • appreciate the difficulty of
Synonyms
  • realize

    more neutral, often a sudden moment of seeing

  • grasp

    stresses intellectual catching of a difficult idea

  • understand

    broader and more everyday

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

appreciate + that-clause

appreciate + wh-clause

Usage Note

Frequently followed by that-clause or wh-clause (how, why, what). Subject is typically a person reaching an insight. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about cognitive understanding of a situation, not about valuing a thing's good qualities.

Common Mistakes

I appreciate this jacket is warm.' (when meaning you like it)
I appreciate that this jacket is warm
it saved me last winter.' — using a that-clause moves the meaning toward 'I now realise', not 'I value'.

4. to ask for a favour in a polite, indirect way, by saying in advance that you wou

4.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to ask for a favour in a polite, indirect way, by saying in advance that you would feel thankful for it.

Example

We would appreciate it if guests removed their shoes before entering the temple.

would appreciate it if + clause as a polite instruction

I would appreciate a quick reply, Ms. Zane, since the deadline is Friday.

I would appreciate + noun (a reply, a moment, your attention)

Common collocations
  • I'd appreciate it if
  • would really appreciate
  • would appreciate your cooperation
  • would appreciate a moment of your time
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

I would appreciate it if + clause

I would appreciate + noun

Usage Note

Almost always uses 'would appreciate' (or contracted 'd appreciate). Softer than 'please can you...' and common in workplace email and signs. Distinguish from sense 1 by tense and structure: sense 1 thanks for past help; sense 4 asks for future action.

Common Mistakes

I appreciate it if you call me back.
I would appreciate it if you called me back.
this request frame needs 'would' plus a past-tense verb in the if-clause.

5. (of money, property, or other assets) to become worth more on the market as time

5.verbintransitiveC1
Definition

(of money, property, or other assets) to become worth more on the market as time passes.

Example

The small flat in Taipei has appreciated by almost forty percent since 2018.

appreciate by + percentage over a time period

Vintage guitars often appreciate faster than new ones once the brand becomes famous.

appreciate faster / more slowly (rate)

Common collocations
  • appreciate in value
  • appreciate against the dollar
  • appreciate sharply
  • appreciate over time
Synonyms
  • rise

    general; works for prices and values without finance flavour

  • gain value

    plainer phrasing, suitable in everyday speech

Antonyms
  • depreciate

    the standard finance opposite: lose market value

Grammar Patterns

[asset] appreciates (in value / by X%)

Usage Note

Subject must be a financial asset: property, currency, shares, collectibles. Direct opposite of 'depreciate'. Often paired with 'in value', 'by [percentage]', or 'against [another currency]'.

Common Mistakes

The bank appreciated my savings by 3%.
My savings appreciated by 3%.
this sense is intransitive; the asset itself is the subject, not what someone does to it.

Word family

  • appreciation
    nounB2
  • appreciative
    adjectiveC1
  • appreciatively
    adverbC1
  • unappreciated
    adjectiveC1
  • depreciate
    verbC1
  • depreciation
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words touch on positive feelings, but they sit at different points on a scale. 'Thank' is the most direct — you say it to a person right after they help you ('Thank you, Dr. Owen'). 'Appreciate' is one step softer and warmer: it names the feeling behind the thanks and often appears in slightly more reflective sentences ('I really appreciate you staying late'). 'Value' shifts away from gratitude toward judgement of worth — you value a friendship, an opinion, a skill, but you do not value someone for fetching your coffee. 'Cherish' is the strongest and most emotional, reserved for memories, loved ones, and keepsakes ('she cherishes the letters her father wrote'). A safe rule: thank a person, appreciate an act, value a quality, cherish a memory.

appreciate ↗thank ↗value ↗cherish ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • I would appreciate it if
  • we would really appreciate
  • more than you know
  • can't appreciate enough

Prepositions

  • appreciate (something) about (someone)
  • appreciate (something) in (a context)

Etymology

LatinLate LatinFrenchEnglish

'Appreciate' came into English in the early 1600s from Late Latin 'appretiare', meaning to set a price on something, built from 'ad-' (to) plus 'pretium' (price) — the same root that gives us 'price' and 'precious'. The earliest English use was the financial one: to estimate or raise a value. The warmer modern meanings of valuing a person's qualities and feeling thankful grew out of this older sense of judging worth, as people extended the idea of pricing from money to character and kindness.