What does "respect" mean?

1. (admiration) a feeling of deep admiration for someone because of their qualities or achievements. 2. (polite greetings) polite greetings or a way to show you are thinking of someone, especially after a death. 3. (a specific detail) a particular detail, feature, or way of looking at something. 4. (to admire) to feel or show admiration for someone's skills or character. 5. (to follow rules) to follow a rule, a law, or someone's wishes.

respect — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01admiration

B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun

n. a feeling of deep admiration for someone because of their qualities or achievements.

n. a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.

“The students have a lot of respect for their teacher because she is very fair.”

“The retired diplomat commanded immense respect across the political spectrum for his role in brokering the peace treaty.”

Synonyms

admiration esteem regard

Antonyms

contempt disdain

02polite greetings

B2 · Upper Intermediate Plural noun Formal

n. polite greetings or a way to show you are thinking of someone, especially after a death.

n. polite greetings or expressions of esteem, frequently used in formal contexts or when offering condolences.

“Please give my respects to your parents when you see them this weekend.”

“Hundreds of mourners gathered at the cathedral to pay their last respects to the former prime minister.”

Synonyms

regards compliments condolences

03a specific detail

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a particular detail, feature, or way of looking at something.

n. a particular aspect, feature, or detail of a matter under consideration.

“The two cars are similar in many respects, but the engine is different.”

“While the new policy is an improvement in some respects, it fails to address the underlying issue of funding.”

Synonyms

aspect detail feature

04to admire

B1 · Intermediate

v. to feel or show admiration for someone's skills or character.

v. to admire someone or something deeply as a result of their abilities, qualities, or achievements.

“I really respect the way he handled that difficult customer.”

“Even those who disagreed with her policies respected her unwavering commitment to her principles.”

Synonyms

admire value esteem

Antonyms

despise

05to follow rules

B1 · Intermediate

v. to follow a rule, a law, or someone's wishes.

v. to agree to or abide by a law, rule, custom, or person's privacy and wishes.

“Visitors are asked to respect the silence of the library.”

“The hikers were reminded to respect the boundaries of the private property and stay on the marked trails.”

Synonyms

obey abide by honour

Antonyms

violate ignore disregard

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “respect” in context.

Adjective

01. mutual respect

“A healthy relationship is built on mutual respect and understanding.”

adj + noun

“A 2025 Gallup poll revealed a troubling truth: only 37% of employees feel respected at work, a return to an all-time low.”

Forbes 1 May 2025

“Man works all day, brings money home to wife and demands her respect in return.”

NPR 14 Feb 2017

“Ideas can be tolerated without being respected.”

The Guardian 13 Dec 2020

From Middle English respect, from Old French respect, also respit (“respect, regard, consideration”), from Latin respectus (“a looking at, regard, respect”), perfect passive participle of respiciō (“look at, look back upon, respect”), from re- (“back”) + speciō (“to see”). Doublet of respite.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

esteem regard admiration reverence honor consideration detail aspect

disrespect contempt scorn disregard rudeness disdain

NOUN

respect(B1)

ADJECTIVE