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Glite Dictionary
🛕 Worship of idols 😍 Extreme admiration
idolatry

idolatry

3 7.6
Very strong admiration for someone or something, often too much
  • noun
  • /aɪˈdɑːlətri/
translation icon : idolatría
  • I started viewing the rejection of blessings from others as a form of idolatry.

And I find idolatry and, like idolizing people to be a very young trait.

Examples

  • To use Martin Marty's expression, it is a case of civil religion becoming a kind of "civil idolatry."

    Academic text (1991)

  • And she, sweet lady, dotes, devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry, upon this spotted and inconstant man.

    A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)

  • More and more Jews are getting sick of the Israel idolatry around them.

    Blog text (29)

  • Communism, a religion, is the idolatry of the collective.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Like Jane Eyre, she must first recognize her idolatry.

    Academic text (1997)

  • I say your idolatry of Margo started in San Francisco, didn't it?

    All About Eve (1950)

  • That's why I bailed on Mary and all the saint idolatry in the church.

    Blog text (12)

  • I've never been one for athlete idolatry, recognizing that superior athletic talent alone isn't a quality that deserves admiration.

    Blog text (17)

  • His idolatry of the famous musician was evident in the way he collected all of her albums.

  • The club's idolatry of its star player led to unrealistic expectations for the team's performance.

Synonyms

admiration
vsidolatry
106 1.8

A feeling of respect and approval for someone or something

implies extreme, often excessive and unreasonable love or praise
infatuation
vsidolatry
20 5.1

A strong short feeling of attraction that is not true love

describes longer lasting excessive admiration rather than a brief crush
adulation
vsidolatry
  • Formal
18 8.4

Too much praise that is not honest and meant to get approval

describes intense admiration that may be genuine rather than flattering
adoration
vsidolatry
16 3.4

A strong feeling of love and respect for someone or something

is more about excessive or unreasonable admiration rather than sincere depth
hero worship
vsidolatry
4 5.1

A very strong admiration for a famous person that ignores their faults

is broader and not limited to admiration for famous individuals
idol worship
vsidolatry
1 7.8

Praying to statues or pictures as if they were gods

is extreme admiration without focusing on religious object worship
fanboyism
vsidolatry
  • Slang
1 8.6

Strong, blind support for a person, group, or product that ignores faults

is similar but more general and not limited to fan communities
idolization
vsidolatry
  • US
1 6.8

Strong admiration that makes someone seem perfect

has identical meaning and is used interchangeably

Antonyms

indifference
71 4.6

Lack of interest or concern about something

disdain
65 6.5

A feeling of strong dislike and lack of respect

How Admiring

idolatry
3 7.6
idolization
  • US
1 6.8
admiration
106 1.8
fondness
38 2.8
liking
1 1.0

Surface Forms

idolatry singular
idolatries plural

Morphology

idolatry = idol (semi-transparent) = idol + latry

The figurative sense of excessive admiration is an extended, non-literal use of 'idol' + '-latry', so learners can often relate it to 'worship' but the nuance of 'excessive or unreasonable' may not be fully predictable.

Etymology

Idolatry also means very strong admiration because idol means 'image' and -latry means 'worship'. So it shows treating a person or thing like a god, which is why we use it for an unreasonable or excessive love for someone or something.