Forms: 5–6 es-, extyme, 5–7 esteme, 6–7 esteeme, (6 æsteme, extime, exsteme, exteame, 7 æsteam, estime, 8 esteam), 5– esteem. Also 5 aphet. stime. [ad. OF. estimer (often spelt extimer), ad. L. æstimāre, of which ESTIMATE is the direct representative. Cf. Pr., Sp. and Pg. estimar, It. stimar.
The regular phonetic representative of L. æstimāre in OF. was esmer AIM. v. For the phonology in Eng. cf. redeem, ad. L. redim-ĕre; the sound (i) under some undefined circumstances became in late ME. (ē), afterwards passing regularly into the modern (ī).]
I. To estimate value; to value.
† 1. trans. To estimate the value of, assign (a value) to; to value, assess, appraise. Const. at. In later use only fig., to assign the degree of merit of. Obs.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 65 b. Ye are in valewe moche more thenne I can exteme.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, cxxiii. 440. The bed that Huon lay on … no humayne tonge can esteme the valewe therof.
1551. Bible, Lev. xxvii. 17. Hys land … shalbe worthe accordinge as it is estemed.
1581. Lambarde, Eiren., IV. v. (1588), 496. So of Charters … their value cannot be esteemed.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., I. iv. 85. What do you esteeme it at?
1621. Ainsworth, Annot. Pentat., Lev. v. 13. The priest … was to esteeme and value all holy things.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 257, ¶ 8. No other Being can … esteem us according to our Merits.
1776. Sir J. Reynolds, Disc., vii. (1876), 422. It is the duty of the connoisseur to know and esteem … every part of painting.
2. To attach value (subjectively) to.
a. In neutral sense, qualified variously by adverbs (highly, lightly, little, well, etc.) or phrases: To hold in (favorable or unfavorable) estimation.
In mod. use highly, little, are merely intensive or the reverse, the verb having the sense b. In the archaic to esteem lightly the original sense remains.
1532. More, Confut. Barnes, VIII. Wks. 810/2. Suche apostasye … is in oure wretched dayes … little estemed.
1538. Starkey, England, I. i. 22. Hys vertue schold have byn otherwyse extymyd.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., V. i. 4. Mar. How is the man esteem’d heere in the Citie? Gold. Of very reuerent reputation sir.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. (1611), 227 (J.). This they honor and esteeme highly as profound Wisedome.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., xcvi. On the finger of a throned Queene, The basest Iewell wil be well esteem’d.
1772. Sir W. Jones, Ess., i. (1777), 184. Yet Sadi’s poems are highly esteemed at Constantinople.
1783. Cowper, Lett., 12 May. If I can tell you no news I can tell you at least that I esteem you highly.
b. In favorable sense: To regard as valuable; to think highly of; to feel regard for, respect (persons or their qualities; now chiefly with reference to moral characteristics).
1530. Palsgr., 540/1. Wene you that men shall estyme you for your fayre eyes.
1620. Shelton, Quix., IV. ii. 11. Every Man bears with the rich Man’s Follies:… have much, and thou shalt be esteemed much.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Sat. Antients, Wks. (1730), I. 24. All this does not hinder me from esteeming the great men that live now.
1772. Sir W. Jones, Ess., i. (1777), 183. Those authors who are generally esteemed in Persia.
1815. Jane Austen, Emma, I. viii. If he had never esteemed my opinion before, he would have thought highly of me then.
1863. Fawcett, Pol. Econ., III. v. 350. Gold and silver have always been sufficiently rare to be esteemed for their scarcity.
† c. To think much of, regard as important. Obs.
1570. Ascham, Scholem., Pref. (Arb.), 23. I … shall not moch æsteme the misliking of any others.
1631. T. May, trans. Barclay’s Mirr. Mindes, I. 202. They can also entertaine long friendship, and, where they truely loue, esteeme no dangers in respect of that sacred league.
† d. intr. To have a (more or less favorable) opinion of (on). Obs.
1583. W. Hunnis, Seven Sobs, 5. We little doo esteeme thereof.
1585. Abp. Sandys, Serm. (1841), 315. This were a cause sufficient to esteem of marriage highly.
1589. Spenser, Lett. to Raleigh, Wks. (Globe), 3. Seeing … nothing esteemed of, that is not delightfull and pleasing to commune sence.
1612. Woodall, Surg. Mate, Wks. (1655), Pref. 13.
| Who likes, approves, and usefull deems | |
| This work, for him ’tis wrought: | |
| But he that light thereof esteems | |
| May leave the book unbought. |
1648. E. Calamy, Pref. to Roberts’ Clavis Bibl., 6. The Author of it is … well known, and very well esteemed on in this famous City.
1670–98. Lassels, Voy. Italy, I. 19. They esteem very much of Chesnuts roasted.
1697. Potter, Antiq. Greece, II. Index, Self-murder, how esteem’d of.
II. To estimate generally; to deem, think.
† 3. trans. To estimate; to form or pronounce a (usually approximate) judgment respecting the number, quantity, or magnitude of (anything). Const. at, to (an amount); also simply. See ESTIMATE v. 2. Obs.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1714), 42. The expensys of which Houshold may sone be estemyd by thes, which of old time have byn Officers theryn.
1481. Caxton, Myrr., III. xv. 170. A place … so ful of spyrites … that they coude not be nombred ne estemed.
c. 1500. Melusine, 117. They extimed them þat had lodged there to the nombre of xxx thousand men.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. clv. 187. The finance to pay the wages of so many men of warre was estemed to I. M. li. parisiens.
1559–66. Hist. Estate Scot. Wodrow Soc. Misc. (1844), 58. The brethren who came to Lt. Johnstone were esteemed to four or five thousand men.
† b. with the amount as complement, or introduced by to be. Obs.
a. 1512. Fabyan, Chron. (1811), Pref. 8. Suche money as shall remayn … I estyme to be every yere xiid.
1612. Brerewood, Lang. & Relig., iii. 17. A learned man hath esteemed them [the inhabitants of Rome] … to have been no less then three or four millions.
1673. Ray, Journ. Low C., 109. The Citizens [Ausburgh] are divided between Papists and Lutherans, these latter being esteemed double the number of the former.
1696. Whiston, Th. Earth, IV. (1722), 334. I esteem the Upper Crust to be not above 50 or 100 miles deep.
1717. Berkeley, Jrnl. Tour Italy, Wks. 1871, IV. 589. The great torrent in the widest part 3 miles broad esteemed.
† 4. In wider sense: To judge of; to form an opinion of. Also with obj. sentence. Obs.
1534. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1535), 12 b. For to esteme the thynge that he hadde done, and to pouruey for that he had to do.
1535. E. Harvel, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 115, II. 71. By al the next monith I stime that his labor shal take end.
1551. Robinson, trans. More’s Utop., II. (Arb.), 124. Al the resydewe of the woomans bodye beinge couered with cloothes, they esteme her scaselye be one handebredeth.
1592. West, 1st Pt. Symbol., I. § 12 E. It is to be esteemed whether they may be said to be contracts named or vnnamed.
1624. Bedell, Lett., iv. 79. What anger and shame this was to the Popish faction, I leaue it to you to esteeme.
5. To account, consider, think, hold (a thing to be so and so). With simple complement; less frequently with as or to be; rarely const. † for.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W.), 211. The people esteme & take vs as the mynistres of Chryst.
1530. Palsgr., 539/2. I esteme my selfe better than I am.
1534. Whitinton, Tullyes Offices, I. (1540), 1. Nor I wolde thou shulde exteme this to be sayd of arrogaunce.
1538. Starkey, England, I. i. 13. Lawful increse of the pepul ys, among al men … estymyd vertue and honesty.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., III. ii. 353. This their iangling I esteeme a sport.
1628. Hobbes, Thucyd., 113. Esteeming these vertues to bee in mee.
1667. Pepys, Diary (1879), IV. 348. To have all that I shall buy, or do, esteemed as got by the death of my uncle.
1671. H. M., trans. Erasm. Colloq., 453. Wouldest thou not esteem that Alchymist for a god, who were able [etc.].
1708. J. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., II. I. i. (1741), 290. St. Patrick is esteemed to have been made the first Bishop of the Scots.
1739. Hume, Hum. Nat., I. Introd. To hope we shall arrive at it [truth] without pains … must certainly be esteemed sufficiently vain.
1790. Gibbon, Misc. Wks. (1814), V. 171. The small islands of the … Pacific … may be esteemed as some of the most agreeable spots on the globe.
1817. Jas. Mill, Brit. India, II. V. ii. 374. The majority of the Council esteemed the evidence of the charge complete.
1845. Sarah Austin, trans. Ranke’s Hist. Ref., II. 299. The imperialists … esteemed themselves happy to escape without a beating.
† b. intr. To account of, have (such or such) an opinion of. Obs. Cf. 2 c.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 268. Know you that I esteeme of him, as of my friend.
1590. Greene, Orpharion, 47. Avicen said that love was a fury: how didst thou esteeme of this but as an axiome?
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., II. iii. 149. We haue alwayes truly seru’d you, and beseech’ So to esteeme of vs.
1633. Bp. Hall, Hard Texts N. T., 111. Esteem of things as they really are.
c. With subord. clause. To think, be of opinion, suppose that.
1548. R. Hutten, Sum of Diuinitie, E 4 a. We esteme verely that we haue the benifytes of the gospel for hys sake.
1645. Ussher, Body Div. (1647), 138. Their blindnesse … esteemed that the shaddow or thicknesse of trees would hide them from the face of God.
1654. Earl Orrery, Parthenissa (1676), 305. Which blemish the King esteem’d the Marriage would deface.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., Introd. 4. Esteeming, that the best return … for your favourable opinion … will be [etc.].
† 6. To purpose, aim, intend. Obs. rare.
1534. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1535), 4 a. This emperour estemed to haue the knowlege of payntyng…. He trauayled also to knowe … the arte of Nygromancye.
1557. North, Gueuara’s Diall Pr., 229 b/1. The noble and valiaunt hartes do not esteme to lose the rewarde of their laboure.
