esteem vs laurels

esteem and laurels both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
esteem	Yes	No	Yes	No
laurels	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, laurels is a hypernym of esteem; that is, laurels is a word with a broader meaning than esteem:

esteem: the condition of being honored (esteemed or respected or well regarded)
laurels: the state of being honored

Other hypernyms of esteem include honor, honour.

esteem (noun)	laurels (noun)
an attitude of admiration or esteem	a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
a feeling of delighted approval and liking	the state of being honored
the condition of being honored (esteemed or respected or well regarded)

esteem (verb)	laurels (verb)
look on as or consider
regard highly; think much of