a feeling of delighted approval and liking
"The audience watched the performance with great esteem, cheering whenever she hit a high note."
Favourable regard.
"The community held great esteem for her selfless service to others."
look on as or consider
"she looked on this affair as a joke"
"He thinks of himself as a brilliant musician"
"He is reputed to be intelligent"
To set a high value on; to regard with respect or reverence.
"The community holds the teacher in high esteem for her decades of dedicated service."
In plain English: To esteem someone means to think very highly of them and respect their worth.
"The community holds great esteem for his decades of service to them."
Usage: Use esteem as an intransitive verb when describing how you hold someone in high regard, often paired with prepositions like "in." Unlike synonyms such as admire which focus on appreciation, esteem implies deep mutual respect and is frequently used in formal contexts regarding character or reputation.
The word esteem first appeared in English at the end of the 16th century, borrowed from the Middle French estimer and ultimately from the Latin aestimō. It is related to the older words estimate and aim, which are considered partly a doublet.