English Reference
Adjective

esteemed

adj.
C1 Advanced US /ɪˈstimd/ UK /ɛstˈiːmd/ es·teemed

adj.highly respected and admired. You use this to describe someone who is famous for their good work or high character.

adj.held in high respect or admiration. Often used as a formal honorific or to describe a person with a distinguished reputation.


SIMPLE

She is an esteemed member of the medical community.

CONTEXTUAL

The university invited several esteemed professors to speak at the graduation ceremony.

COMPLEX

After decades of dedicated service to the court, the esteemed judge retired with a reputation for unwavering fairness and intellectual rigor.

Usage

Typically used as an attributive adjective before a noun; often found in formal introductions or professional correspondence.

Set in Charleston, it follows ambitious young couple Rudy (Milo Callaghan) and Sarah (Madison Iseman) who are associates at the esteemed Tinley Britt.

The Guardian· 28 Aug 2026

There were just enough tasteful details (baseball, back pain, anxiety) to point a reader’s imagination to the esteemed American author; the magazine likened the prose to “one of Rachel Cusk’s cool-voiced narrators”.

The Guardian· 26 Aug 2026
This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated