Admiring refers to looking at someone or something with respect, warm approval, or affectionate appreciation, often with a sense of wonder. In usage, it can describe feeling admiration for a person, an achievement, or beauty, usually in a positive, respectful tone. The word can function as a verb form (present participle) or as a gerund in sentences. Clear pronunciation hinges on the accented form -ing ending and the rhoticity of the preceding vowel.
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US: rhotic, keep /r/ pronounced; middle vowel cluster often reduced; emphasis on the second syllable. UK: non-rhotic or variable; /r/ only if before a vowel; ensure /maɪə/ sequence is clearer; AU: broad vowels, may keep /ɜː/ or /ɪə/ more distinctly; practice with a slightly longer vowel in the middle. IPA anchors: /əˈmaɪərɪŋ/ (US/UK rhotic) and /əˈmaɪərɪŋ/ variations; use schwa in first syllable.
"She stood there, admiring the intricate sunset over the harbor."
"People admire her dedication and perseverance."
"He was admiring the artwork, tracing its details with his eyes."
"They left the ceremony admiring the speakers’ passion and clarity."
Admiring comes from the verb admire, which originates in the Latin admirare, meaning to wonder at, to regard with wonder, or to admire. Admirare is formed from ad- “toward” + mirari “to wonder, admire.” The sense evolved in late Latin to include ‘to regard with approval’ and passed into Old French as admirer, then into Middle English as admire and admiring. In English, the -ing participle form emerged to denote ongoing action or a gerund, yielding phrases like admiring eyes or admiring the view. Over centuries, the word broadened to describe not only personal esteem but also aesthetic or intellectual appreciation. The core semantic core remains: to regard with pleasure, respect, or wonder. First known uses appear in medieval texts, with consistent usage by early modern authors reflecting admiration in social and artistic contexts. The morphological family remains stable: admire (root verb) + -ing (present participle/gerund).
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "admiring" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "admiring" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "admiring"
-ing sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounced /əbˈmaɪərɪŋ/ (US/UK) with stress on the second syllable: a-b-MY-err-ing. Start with a schwa in the first syllable, then the /ˈmaɪə/ diphthong cluster, ending with /-rɪŋ/. Mouth: relaxed lips, slight rounding for /ɔɪ/ in /maɪ/, tongue high for /iə/ sequence, and a final light /ŋ/ nasal.
Common errors: misplacing stress (pronouncing as /ˌædˈmaɪərɪŋ/), pronouncing /ɪŋ/ as /ən/ or /ɪŋ/, and dropping the /r/ in non-rhotic accents. Corrections: place primary stress on the second syllable as /əbˈmaɪərɪŋ/; keep the /ɪŋ/ as a velar nasal with clear /ŋ/ at the end, avoid vowel reduction in the middle /maɪə/ sequence by maintaining a stable /ɪː/ vs /ɪə/; practice linking the /r/ before the final -ing in rhotic varieties.
In US and UK, /əbˈmaɪəriŋ/ vs /əbˈmaɪərɪŋ/—the middle /ɪə/ can be reduced to /ər/ or linger as /ɪə/ depending on speaker. Australian tends to maintain clearer /ɜː/ or /ɪə/ sequences and may be less rhotic in rapid speech, making /ˈmaɪərɪŋ/ sound; Australians often use a slightly broader vowel in /maɪə/ and may flatten /ə/ to schwa around cluster boundaries.
Difficulties center on the /ˈmaɪə/ cluster, where the combination of /aɪ/ and /ə/ can blur; the /r/ before the -ing in rhotic accents links to /ə/ sometimes subtly, making it easy to mispronounce as /ˈædmɪrɪŋ/ or drop the /r/. Tension-free lips for /ˈmaɪə/ and a crisp final /ŋ/ help clarity.
The primary stress is on the second syllable (a-DAIR-ing) with a clear /ɪə/ or /iə/ sequence, not a simple /maɪr/; ensure the /r/ is pronounced (in rhotic varieties) and that the final -ing is a voiced nasal /ŋ/. Eye-witness phrasing often carries the ∼/ə/ in the first syllable; focus on keeping the second syllable prominent.
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