Esteem | Vocabulary | Khan Academy

Hey there, wordsmiths! I must tell you I feel quite good about this word, esteem.

Esteem, it's a noun; it means respect. You can hold someone in high esteem, which means you have a lot of respect for them, or you can have high self-esteem, respect for yourself. This word comes from the French "estim," which means to appraise and to guess at the value of something. This was indeed the original meaning of esteem—worth or value.

Let's come up with some similar words. What words can you think of that contain a similar root to esteem? I'm thinking about that "EST" especially. I'll give you 10 seconds. Okay, here we [Music] go!

Okay, here's what I came up with: there's estimate, which means to make a rough guess, like estimating how many jelly beans are in a jar. Right? Tying it back to the root, when you're estimating something, you're guessing at its value or its worth, or how many jelly beans there are.

Esteemed, which is another way of saying the famous or the well-respected. That's how I talk about my work friend sometimes. I'll be like, "Oh yeah, my esteemed colleague Heather, she rules. Hi, Heather!"

Inestimable, which means something so precious that it can't even be given a value, like a diamond the size of a small dog or I believe in you.

Let's use esteem in a sentence or two: Wanita held her mother's sculptures in high esteem, though the art world never seemed to get them. She respects them a lot. That's what that conventional expression means— to hold something in high esteem is you really, really like it.

And that doesn't have to be things; that can also be people. You can hold a person in high esteem.

Let's do another one: Brolis, the troll, saw a therapist to talk through his feelings of low self-esteem. Good job, Brolis! It's never too late to take care of yourself.

In this house, we support trolls that take care of themselves.

Wordsmiths, I hope you know the value that you possess. It is inestimable; it is beyond number. Remember that when you're feeling low.

I believe in you, and I also believe that you can learn anything.

David out.