respect To have high regard or admiration for a person or a thing is to show respect. This word can be used as a noun or as a verb: - Students usually think highly of their teachers. They show respect to their teachers. (This sentence uses "respect" as a noun.)
- If you respect the law, you obey the law. (This sentence uses "respect" as a verb.)
- If you disrespect a police officer, you might get arrested. (The opposite of "respect" is "disrespect.")
- It’s important to have respect for other people, regardless of their skin color, gender, or religion.
- We have great respect for those people who have come before us and helped create the society in which we live.
- Oscar attended the funeral of his neighbor to show his respects to the family and to the man who passed away.
- A supervisor earns the respect of his or her employees by treating them fairly and in an even-handed manner.
A police officer deserves respect and earns respect by serving his community well.
The word "respectful" is an adjective: - Young people should be respectful towards older people.
- The audience was attentive and respectful throughout the performance.
- The boy was thrown out of the classroom because he wasn’t being respectful towards the teacher. He was being disrespectful.
- I respectfully disagree with what you said. (The word "respectfully" is an adverb.)
The word "respectable" is also an adjective: - Bill comes from a respectable family.
- Dr. Michelle is a respectable member of the community.
- Several respectable leaders of the community gave their approval for a new homeless shelter.
- Bernie Sanders has a respectable amount of support for the nomination of his party. (He has a lot of support.)
Click here to go to the Word of the Day page. February 15, 2016 |