The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Esteem \Es*teem"\, v. i.
   To form an estimate; to have regard to the value; to
   consider. [Obs.]
   [1913 Webster]

         We ourselves esteem not of that obedience, or love, or
         gift, which is of force.                 --Milton.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Esteem \Es*teem"\, n. [Cf. F. estime. See Esteem, v. t.]
   1. Estimation; opinion of merit or value; hence, valuation;
      reckoning; price.
      [1913 Webster]

            Most dear in the esteem
            And poor in worth!                    --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

            I will deliver you, in ready coin,
            The full and dear'st esteem of what you crave. --J.
                                                  Webster.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. High estimation or value; great regard; favorable opinion,
      founded on supposed worth.
      [1913 Webster]

            Nor should thy prowess want praise and esteem.
                                                  --Shak.

   Syn: See Estimate, n.
        [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Esteem \Es*teem"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Esteemed; p. pr. & vb.
   n. Esteeming.] [F. estimer, L. aestimare, aestumare, to
   value, estimate; perh. akin to Skr. ish to seek, strive, and
   E. ask. Cf. Aim, Estimate.]
   1. To set a value on; to appreciate the worth of; to
      estimate; to value; to reckon.
      [1913 Webster]

            Then he forsook God, which made him, and lightly
            esteemed the Rock of his salvation.   --Deut. xxxii.
                                                  15.
      [1913 Webster]

            Thou shouldst (gentle reader) esteem his censure and
            authority to be of the more weighty credence. --Bp.
                                                  Gardiner.
      [1913 Webster]

            Famous men, -- whose scientific attainments were
            esteemed hardly less than supernatural. --Hawthorne.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To set a high value on; to prize; to regard with
      reverence, respect, or friendship.
      [1913 Webster]

            Will he esteem thy riches?            --Job xxxvi.
                                                  19.
      [1913 Webster]

            You talk kindlier: we esteem you for it. --Tennyson.

   Syn: To estimate; appreciate; regard; prize; value; respect;
        revere. See Appreciate, Estimate.
        [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

esteem
    n 1: the condition of being honored (esteemed or respected or
         well regarded); "it is held in esteem"; "a man who has
         earned high regard" [syn: esteem, regard, respect]
         [ant: disesteem]
    2: a feeling of delighted approval and liking [syn:
       admiration, esteem]
    3: an attitude of admiration or esteem; "she lost all respect
       for him" [syn: respect, esteem, regard] [ant:
       disrespect]
    v 1: regard highly; think much of; "I respect his judgement";
         "We prize his creativity" [syn: respect, esteem,
         value, prize, prise] [ant: disesteem, disrespect]
    2: look on as or consider; "she looked on this affair as a
       joke"; "He thinks of himself as a brilliant musician"; "He is
       reputed to be intelligent" [syn: think of, repute,
       regard as, look upon, look on, esteem, take to be]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

201 Moby Thesaurus words for "esteem":
   OK, accept, acceptance, accord respect to, account, account as,
   adherence, adjudge, adjudicate, admiration, admire, adoration,
   adore, allow, apotheosis, apotheosize, appreciate, appreciation,
   apprize, approbation, approval, approve, approve of, ascendancy,
   ascribe importance to, assume, authority, awe, be afraid,
   be judicious, believe, bless, blessing, breathless adoration,
   charisma, charm, cherish, clout, conceive, consequence, consider,
   consideration, control, count, countenance, courtesy, credit,
   daresay, dearly love, deem, defer to, deference, deification,
   deify, dignity, distinction, dominance, domination, duty, effect,
   eminence, enchantment, endorse, endorsement, entertain respect for,
   estimate, estimation, evaluate, exaggerated respect, exalt,
   exercise judgment, expect, express an opinion, fame, fancy, favor,
   favorable vote, force, form an opinion, glory, good feeling,
   great respect, greatness, guess, have a hunch, have an idea,
   have an impression, have an inkling, have the idea, hero worship,
   hero-worship, high regard, hold, hold as, hold dear,
   hold in esteem, hold in reverence, hold with, homage, honor,
   idolatry, idolization, idolize, imagine, importance,
   incidental power, influence, influentiality, insinuation, judge,
   keep in countenance, leadership, leverage, like, liking,
   look up to, look upon as, love, love to distraction, magnetism,
   maintain, make much of, mastery, memorability, moment, nod,
   notability, noteworthiness, opine, personality, persuasion, pine,
   potency, power, predominance, preponderance, pressure, prestige,
   presume, prize, prominence, purchase, rank, rate, rate highly,
   reckon, regard, reign, remarkableness, renown, reputation, repute,
   respect, revere, reverence, reverential regard, rule, salience,
   sanction, say, seal of approval, set down as, set store by,
   stamp of approval, suasion, subtle influence, suggestion, suppose,
   supremacy, surmise, suspect, sway, take, take for, take it,
   take kindly to, think, think highly of, think much of, think of,
   think well of, treasure, trow, uphold, upper hand, valuation,
   value, venerate, veneration, view, view as, view with favor, voice,
   vote, ween, weight, whip hand, worship, worth, yea, yea vote