deserving of the highest esteem or admiration; "an estimable young professor"; "trains ran with admirable precision"; "his taste was impeccable, his health admirable"
inspiring admiration or approval; "among her many admirable qualities are generosity and graciousness"
surpassing the ordinary or normal; "Beyond his preternatural affability there is some acid andsome steel"- George Will; "his uncanny sense of direction"
so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm; "such an enormous response was astonishing"; "an astounding achievement"; "the amount of money required was staggering"; "suffered a staggering defeat"; "the figure inside the boucle dress was stupefying"
expressive of contempt; "curled his lip in a supercilious smile"; "spoke in a sneering jeering manner"; "makes many a sharp comparison but never a mean or snide one"