An admirer is a person who regards someone with warm approval, affection, or admiration. The term often implies steady admiration rather than fleeting interest and can refer to fans, followers, or someone who regularly expresses praise or longing. In conversation, it commonly describes a person who admires another from a respectful or affectionate distance.
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US: rhotic /ɹ/ in the final syllable; clear /ə/ or /ɚ/ depending on region; /ædˌmaɪɹ/ in some speakers. UK: non-rhotic; final /ə/ with weaker /ɹ/; faster, tighter jaw; /ædˌmaɪə/. AU: often non-rhotic with a more centralized final vowel; /ædˈmaɪə/ or /ˈædˌmaɪə/. Vowel specifics: /æ/ as in cat, /maɪ/ as in my, /ə/ or /ɪə/ in final depending on accent. Practice tip: record both GA and RP-like variants, compare vowel height and r-coloring. IPA references: GA /ˈædˌmaɪər/, RP/UK /ˈædˌmaɪə/, AU /ˈædˌmaɪə/.
"- The novelist acknowledged the admirer who sent supportive letters after the book’s release."
"- A secret admirer left notes at the office, sparking a mix of curiosity and amusement."
"- The actor’s admirer crowd gathered outside the theatre to catch a glimpse of him."
"- She spoke about her admirer with a smile, noting the gentle, respectful tone of the messages."
Admirer comes from the verb admire, derived from Latin admirārī, from ad- ‘toward’ + mīrārī ‘to look at, marvel at’. The noun form in English first appeared in the late 16th to early 17th century, evolving to denote a person who admires someone or something. Historically, admiration implied affectionate or respectful regard, often connected to admiration of a person’s qualities, achievements, or status. By the 17th–18th centuries, the word broadened to cover admirers in social, literary, and fan-rooted contexts, including “secret admirers” in romantic letters and public figures who drew a following. The sense retains a blend of esteem and affect, with connotations of warmth rather than mere approval. Over time, “admirer” has specialized uses in romance (secret admirers), fandom (celebrity admirers), and professional contexts (industrial or aesthetic admiration), though the core sense remains anchored in looking up to or valuing someone’s attributes. In modern usage, it also appears in idioms like “admirer of progress,” underscoring continued evolution from personal to evaluative admiration.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "admirer" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "admirer" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "admirer"
-der sounds
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Admirer is pronounced with two clear syllables: /ˈædˌmaɪər/ in GA and /ˈædˌmaɪə/ in many UK variants. Primary stress sits on the first syllable “ad-”, followed by a secondary stress or light emphasis on the second, with the final -er often reduced to /ər/ or /ə/. Start with /æ/ as in cat, then /d/ to form “ad”, then /ˌmaɪ/ as in “my,” and finish with /ər/ (US) or /ə/ (UK). A practical cue: keep the /maɪ/ part crisp and avoid tensing the jaw on the final schwa.
Common mistakes include: 1) misplacing stress by over-emphasizing the second syllable (ad-MI-der) instead of keeping primary stress on the first (ˈædˌmaɪər). 2) Lengthening the final -er into a full syllable (/ˈædˌmaɪər/ vs. /ˈædˌmaɪər/ with a reduced final). 3) Slurring the /æ/ into a broad /æɪ/ or mispronouncing /maɪ/ as /mɪ/ or /miː/. Correction tips: hold the first syllable with short /æ/, make /maɪ/ a crisp diphthong, and reduce the final to a light /ər/ or /ə/ depending on accent.
In American English, you’ll hear /ˈædˌmaɪər/ with rhoticity: the final /r/ is pronounced. In many UK varieties, /ˈædˌmaɪə/ with a non-rhotic ending, so the final /r/ is not released; contrast this with a slight schwa in many accents. Australian tends to be similar to UK in non-rhotic practice but with distinct vowel qualities; /ˈædˌmaɪə/ or /ˈædˌmaɪəɹ/ depending on speaker. The main differences are rhotic pronunciation and the treatment of the final vowel: a more centralized or reduced /ə/ in some UK/AU accents.
Two key challenges: the two-diphthong sequence /æ/→/maɪ/ requires smooth transition between a short front vowel to a rising front vowel; and the final -er can be unreleased or reduced, which varies by accent. Additionally, the /d/ and /m/ cluster with a rapid /maɪ/ makes the middle portion tricky to segment in fluent speech. Focus on maintaining a crisp /æ/ in the first syllable and a clear /maɪ/ without shrinking the middle sound.
A distinctive feature is the two-syllable rhythm where the middle /maɪ/ acts as a bridge from the front vowel to the final vowel. This creates a mild iamb-like rise in the second syllable despite the low-stress final. Ensure you keep the first syllable relatively short and crisp, then smoothly glide into the /maɪ/ before letting the final vowel come through as a light schwa in non-rhotic accents.
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