1 [transitive not in progressive] to understand how serious or important a situation or problem is or what someone’s feelings are [= realize]
He did not fully appreciate the significance of signing the contract.
We appreciate that caring for children is an important job.
It is difficult to appreciate how bad the situation had become.
to understand how good or useful someone or something is:
Her abilities are not fully appreciated by her employer.
I’m not an expert, but I appreciate fine works of art.