Cool MateAdmire vs Wonder at the powers of
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Admire
Top 1,000 (very common)B1verb
Wonder at the powers of
Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Most common: Admire
| Admire | Wonder at the powers of | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ədˈmaɪə(r)/","/ədˈmaɪəz/","/ədˈmaɪəd/","/ədˈmaɪərɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ədˈmaɪər/","/ədˈmaɪərz/","/ədˈmaɪərd/","/ədˈmaɪərɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //ˈwʌndər æt ðə ˈpaʊəz əv//🇺🇸 //ˈwʌndər æt ðə ˈpaʊərz əv// |
| Meaning | To think highly of someone or something and appreciate their qualities. | To be amazed by someone's abilities. |
| Example | I really admire her dedication to her work. | I wonder at the powers of the magician when he made the elephant disappear. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 5,000 (fairly common) |
| CEFR level | B1 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | deeply, enormously, greatly, have to, about, for, be generally admired, be widely admired, can’t help admiring, pause to, stop to, stand back to | wonder at the beauty of, wonder at the strength of, wonder at the skill of |
| Antonyms | despise, disdain, scorn | - |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'admiration' as a verb., Incorrectly using 'admire' without an object., Using 'admire' inappropriately in casual contexts. | Using 'wonder' without 'at' when expressing amazement., Confusing 'wonder at' with 'wonder about' which expresses curiosity instead., Incorrectly using it with inanimate objects. |
| Usage notes | Use 'admire' when you want to express respect or approval for someone or something. It is appropriate in both spoken and written English, but might come across as less common in very casual conversations. | Used in contexts expressing admiration or surprise. Appropriate in both spoken and written English, but avoid in overly casual settings. |
See it in real clips
Frequently asked questions: Admire vs Wonder at the powers of
What's the difference between Admire and Wonder at the powers of?
Admire: To think highly of someone or something and appreciate their qualities. Wonder at the powers of: To be amazed by someone's abilities.
Which is more common: Admire and Wonder at the powers of?
Admire is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Admire: I really admire her dedication to her work. Wonder at the powers of: I wonder at the powers of the magician when he made the elephant disappear.
Can I use Admire and Wonder at the powers of interchangeably?
Not always. Admire and Wonder at the powers of are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.