Also 5–6 -cyon, -cion, -tyon. [a. Fr. admiration (14th c. in Littré, ad. L. admīrātiōn-em, n. of action f. admīrā-ri: see ADMIRE.]
1. The action of wondering or marvelling; wonder, astonishment, surprise. arch.
1506. Ordin. Crysten Men (W. de Worde), I. vii. 73. Yf he have admyracyon that one essence of deite be in thre persones.
1611. Bible, Rev. xvii. 6. When I saw her, I wondred with great admiration.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., IV. xvi. 323. Admiration is the daughter of ignorance.
1662. Evelyn, Sylva (1679), 9. In admiration at the universal negligence.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, 331. But now the Admiration was turned upon another Question, (viz.) what could be the Matter.
1826. Scott, Woodst., xxv. Wks. 1830, II. 143. Phœbe stood gaping in admiration at the sudden quarrel.
1852. Sir W. Hamilton, Discuss., 14. How it could ever be doubted … may well be deemed a matter of the profoundest admiration.
2. Agreeable surprise; wonder mingled with reverence, esteem, approbation; hence, in late usage, pleased or gratified contemplation.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, II. xii. (1811), 91. To bring the world into admiration of their lawes and Religion.
1617. Wither, Fidelia, in Juvenil. 1633, 480. That love which Admiration first begot, Pitty would strengthen.
c. 1680. Beveridge, Serm. (1729), I. 10. Take heed that you have not men’s persons in admiration.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone Lightho., § 152. The Buss in all the past bad weather had indeed rode it out to admiration.
1860. Tyndall, Glaciers, I. § 11, 72. One large star in particular excited our admiration.
1871. Ruskin, Fors Clav., v. 17. Admiration—the power of discerning and taking delight in what is beautiful in visible Form, and lovely in human Character.
1876. Mozley, Univ. Serm., vii. 146. The test of true admiration is pleasure.
† 3. The faculty of exciting either wonder or agreeable surprise and approbation; admirableness. Obs.
1534. Ld. Berners, Golden Bk. of M. Aurel. (1546), E b. Theyr fewe woordes and good workes haue lefte vs exaumple of great admiracion.
1610. Shaks., Temp., III. i. 38. Admir’d Miranda! Indeede the top of admiration.
1642. Jer. Taylor, God’s Judgem., I. I. xxix. 133. [They] found him to be starke dead, not without markes upon him of wonderfull admiration.
4. An object of admiration or wonder; a marvel. In mod. usage only in the phrase the admiration of, with a distinctly verbal reference.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xxvii. 97. The harde and sorowfull admyracions that thenne made palmyreus that was maistre of eneas shippe ben declared.
1548. Compl. Scotl. (1801), 86. Ther is ane vthir admiration of the variant course of the moone.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, II. i. 91. Now, good Lafew, Bring in the admiration, that we with thee May spend our wonder too.
1716–8. Lady M. W. Montague, Lett., I. xxii. 69. The young prince … is the admiration of the whole court.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Brooke Farm, xii. 133. Joe’s house is the admiration of all who know what comfort is.
5. Note of admiration: the mark (!) affixed to words, phrases, or sentences, intended to be uttered with an intonation of exclamation or surprise.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., V. ii. 12. The changes I perceiued in the King and Camillo, were very Notes of admiration.
1611. Cotgr., Admiratif, Th’ admirative point, or point of admiration (and of detestation) marked, or made thus!
1719. Swift, To Yng. Clerg., Wks. 1755, II. II. 8. To skip over all sentences where he spied a note of admiration at the end.
1859. J. Lang, Wand. India, 387. You will have the Commander-in-Chief down upon you with five-and-twenty notes of admiration at the end of every sentence.
