Ways to express admiration in English

A man smiling and high fiving another person

Reading time: 4 minutes

February is commonly associated with Valentine's Day, which is a day to express love and affection to your significant other. However, it's also important to express admiration for others in a platonic, non-romantic way.

Language serves as the gateway to genuine communication, and one of the most delightful methods of connection is through expressions of admiration. As you practice and immerse yourself in the depths of the English language, you'll likely want to learn ways to convey heartfelt praise, elevating your ability to articulate and forge meaningful connections.

In today's post, we explore a range of examples to enhance your language proficiency and elevate your conversational English.

What is the definition of admiration?

Originating from the Latin word admirari (meaning 'to wonder at'), admiration is the act of expressing sincere approval or deep appreciation towards someone or something, typically as a heartfelt form of praise or recognition for their achievements, qualities, or contributions. It is a sentiment that stems from feeling a genuine admiration for the impact and inspiration someone or something brings to our lives.

Admiration is an emotion everyone can relate to, and the English language offers a beautiful range of words and expressions to convey it in the most subtle and nuanced ways.

Whether you're dealing with a complex business transaction or simply enjoying a personal moment of connection, the richness of your words can reflect the depth of your feelings and make them even more meaningful.

Examples of English compliments

Let's look at some English phrases you can use to express admiration. There are different types for varying situations and people.

Straightforward compliments

To truly convey admiration in English, it's crucial to practice and become familiar with positive affirmations. The following phrases not only highlight the specific reason for your awe but also reflect a deeper, personal connection:

  • Your hard work is truly inspiring.
  • I'm in awe of your creativity.
  • You have an uncanny ability to make things happen.
  • Your perseverance is admirable.
  • Your kindness never goes unnoticed.

Each of these phrases praises the character traits of the person you are addressing. They showcase attention to detail, appreciation for special skills, and the more intangible qualities, such as character and kindness, that are just as noteworthy.

Tailored and specific accolades

A compliment can carry more weight when it is clearly tailored to the individual. Phrases that are specific to a person's achievements and skills add a layer of thoughtfulness that is hard to ignore. Consider these examples of more personalized compliments:

  • The way you handled that difficult situation was masterful.
  • Your presentation was not only informative but also deeply insightful.
  • Your dedication to this project is truly top-notch.
  • I love how you always find a unique perspective.
  • Your attention to detail really sets you apart.

These phrases go beyond generic niceties and serve to validate specific moments or attributes that set the person apart in a distinctive way.

Building rapport with positive language

Admiration doesn't always have to be solely based on achievements or success; it can also be directed toward someone's personality and interests.

Sometimes, an outward expression of approval, high praise or agreement can forge a sense of commonality and mutual respect. Here are phrases that can help you beam with appreciation:

  • Your choice in music is impeccable.
  • I absolutely adore your sense of style.
  • The way you talk about your family is truly heartwarming.
  • Your passion for this topic is evident and contagious.
  • Your love of life is refreshing and infectious.

Using these statements, you can create a warm and complimentary atmosphere, helping foster positive connections with others.

Affectionate expressions for familiar friends

When it comes to speaking (or writing) to someone you're close with, phrases of praise and admiration can touch on personal attributes and speak of shared experiences, creating an even stronger bond. These expressions should carry the warmth and familiarity that come with a close relationship:

  • Your sense of humor always lifts my spirits.
  • The wisdom you've shared has shaped and helped my own life so much.
  • You approach life's challenges with such grace; it's a privilege to know you.
  • The comfort and joy you bring as a friend cannot be overstated.
  • Your insights always provide a refreshing new angle, revealing things I had not thought about.

These phrases are centered on intimate understanding and personal connections, deeply resonating with a shared history and mutual appreciation. They carry a more emotive meaning and weight, often used to reinforce the closeness and appreciation that develops through years of friendship or kinship. Therefore, you should use them with care and thought.

The appropriateness of compliments

The art of complimenting is nuanced; learning and gauging the appropriateness of a compliment is essential. Certain contexts or relationships might warrant a more conservative or formal approach. Professional settings, for example, often require focusing on achievements and abilities as opposed to personal compliments, which may be mistaken for overfamiliarity or unprofessional behavior.

Consider culture and personal preferences

Similarly, cultural sensitivities must be considered; a warm expression of admiration in one culture may be perceived as too forward or personal in another.

Always ensure that compliments and praises are given in a manner that resonates with respect for the individual's privacy and comfort levels. By being mindful of your surroundings and the nature of your relationship with the person, your words of praise and admiration can be both fitting and heartfelt.

Play it safe

Usually, a good overall rule of thumb is the less you know someone, the less personal your compliments should be; if you're unsure, play it safe, or don't use one until you've gauged the situation appropriately.

A note on delivery

While these expressions are powerful in their own right, the delivery is key to ensuring the recipient truly feels your admiration. Context, tone of voice, and body language play a significant role in how your words are received. Be genuine, and let your admiration flow naturally. Avoid overuse of flattery, which can come across as insincere.

Conclusion

Whether you're networking, meeting with friends/loved ones, or simply conversing with a colleague, mastering the use of admiration and praise in the English language can open doors to deeper relationships and shared connections.

Integrating these phrases into your lexicon can not only make your expressions more vibrant but can also help you cultivate a spirit of positivity, confidence and appreciation in your daily interactions. So make sure to incorporate examples like these into your own vocabulary; you never know whose day you might make with your compliments.

Level up your English language learning with and check out our other learner tools. Make sure to check out our post 'English words and slang terms you should know' to give your English vocabulary a boost.

Learners overview

More blogs from app

  • Woman and a child sat outdoors reading

    How to understand – and use – English oxymorons

    By

    If you had to explain what an oxymoron is, what would you say? And would you know how to use one correctly? You might even be using oxymorons already completely by accident. After all, how many times have you talked about a “small crowd”, described someone as a “big baby” or gossiped about an “open secret”?

    Let’s explain more about the term. An is a figure of speech where two words of opposed or contradictory meaning are used together to create emphasis. While some oxymorons are created by accident – such as “small crowd” – sometimes they are used deliberately to draw attention to something or to create drama for the reader or listener. Let’s take a closer look at some popular English oxymorons and get to the bottom of what they actually mean.

  • students sat at desks looking at their workbooks

    Mindfulness in the classroom: Autopilot and paying attention

    By Amy Malloy

    The challenge: the lure of automatic pilot

    Have you ever got to the bottom of the page in your favorite book and then realized you have no idea what you just read? This is due to being in a semi-conscious mental state called 'automatic pilot'. In automatic pilot mode, we are only partially aware of what we are doing and responding to in the present moment. If left to its own devices, it can end up masking all our thought patterns, emotions and interactions with those around us. Humans are habitual creatures, building functional 'speed-dials' to allow us to survive in the present while the mind is elsewhere planning for the future or ruminating in thought. The challenge here is that we are responding to the present moment based solely on habits learned from previous experience rather than making conscious choices based on the nuances of the moment itself. Luckily, mindfulness can help.

    The solution: the importance of paying attention on purpose

    Jon Kabat-Zinn, Professor Emeritus of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, is often credited with bringing mindfulness into the secular mainstream. He defines the practice as: "paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally."

    Paying attention on purpose is the skill needed to move out of automatic pilot. As such, practicing mindfulness starts with learning how to pay attention. The more we focus, the more the brain builds strength in the areas involved in this type of concentration - and the easier it becomes to do it automatically. In other words, it becomes a habit to be present.

    In the early years of primary school, a child's brain is developing more quickly than it ever will again. Young minds are in the process of forming their very first habits, and so learning to pay attention on purpose will have a .

    The why: why is this particularly important in schools?

    If you're a teacher wondering why this is important, mindfulness has many benefits in the classroom. Perhaps the most notable is its facility for improving children's attention span during English lessons and elsewhere in life. This is increasingly important as children are immersed in a world of digital screens and social media. Learning to focus can help to counteract the constant demands on their attention and develop greater patience and staying power for any one activity.

    , experts agree that our attention span varies depending on what we are doing. The more experience we have of how much attention a certain situation needs, the more the brain will adapt and make it easier for us to focus on those situations.

    The brains of school-age children develop rapidly. So, the more we can do to demonstrate to them what it feels like to pay attention for a prolonged period, the more likely they are to be able to produce that level of attention in similar situations.

    For teenagers it is even more important. During adolescence, our brains undergo a unique period of neural development. The brain rapidly streamlines our neural connections to make the brain function as efficiently as possible in adulthood. Like a tree shedding branches, it will get rid of any pathways that are not being used and strengthen up the areas that are being used: use it or lose it. So if teenagers are not actively using their ability to pay conscious attention and spending too much time in automatic pilot mode, through screen use and in periods of high exam stress, the brain won't just not strengthen their capacity to focus; it may make it harder for them to access the ability to pay attention in future.

    The how: three exercises to teach your students mindfulness

    These three mindfulness exercises will help your language students integrate awareness into everyday activities in their school and home lives.

    1. Mindful use of screens and technology

    Screen use is a major culprit of setting the brain into automatic pilot. This is an activity you canpractice in school during computer-based lessons or even ask the students to practise at home.

    • Close your eyes and notice how you feel before you've started
    • Consciously decide on one task you need to do on the device
    • Consciously think about the steps you need to do to achieve that task and visualize yourself doing them
    • Then turn on the device and complete the task. When you have finished, put the device down, walk away, or do something different
    • Notice if you wanted to carry on using the device (this doesn't mean we need to)

    2. Mindful snacking

    We eat so habitually that we rarely notice the huge range of sensory stimulation going onunder the surface of this process. This is a great activity to practise with your students during breaks or lunch.

    • Hold the snack in your hand and notice five things you can see about it
    • Close your eyes and notice five things about the way it feels in your hand or to touch
    • Keep the eyes closed and notice five things you can smell about the snack
    • Bring the snack slowly to your mouth and taste it – notice five different subtle tastes

    3. Counting the breath

    A brilliantly simple exercise to teach the brain to focus attention on one thing for a longerperiod of time. It can be done anywhere and can also have the helpful side effect ofreducing stress through passively slowing down the breath.

    • Close your eyes or take a soft gaze in front of you
    • Focus your attention on the breath going in and out at the nostrils
    • Notice the breath temperature on the way into the nose compared to its temperature on the way out
    • Count 10 breaths to yourself – in 1, out 1; in 2, out 2; and so on
    • If the mind wanders, gently guide it back to the breath
    • When you get to 10 you can either stop there or go back to 1 and start again
    • In time, it will become easier to stay focused for the full 10 breaths and for even longer

    If a part of you is still wondering where to start with mindfulness, then paying conscious attention to anything that draws our senses to the present moment: the breath, physical sensations in the body, sounds, smells or tastes - these are all brilliant places to start. Remember that mindfulness is simply a state of mind, a way of interacting with the world around us. How we access that state of mind can vary depending on the school, the language lesson and the students - there are many possibilities. As an English teacher, it's important to encourage and help students academically and in regards to their wellbeing.

  • an intern sat at a table surrounded by monitors talking to a co-worker

    Internships: how they improve language skills

    By

    Internships and work experience can help in numerous ways, improve someone's workplace skills, add extra value to a resume or even help a person realize if a workplace/profession is for them. They are also very helpful in developing language skills. Language development is an ongoing process that extends far beyond the classroom. While language courses and textbooks are often needed, real-world experiences like internships and work placements also play a crucial role in shaping a person's language proficiency. Whether you're a student or graduate deciding to take a placement or someone who just wants to reskill, it can be beneficial and help your language proficiency. Today we explore how internships and work experience can aid a person's language learning skills.