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hero worshiper

hero worshiper

5.4
A person who admires someone too much and without criticism
  • noun
  • /ˈhɪəroʊ ˈwɜːrʃɪpər/
translation icon : adorador de héroes
  • And such a hero worshiper for all the hoopla about individual effort.

Examples

  • He was often seen as a hero worshiper, always praising the lead singer of his favorite band.

  • "I tend to be a hero-worshipper of some writers, and Dr. Johnson is one of them.

    Blog text (29)
  • Great people have always been hero worshippers, but they pick the right sort of people to emulate.

  • The... hero worshipers.

  • "The hero worshiper of today must yield to the spirit of modern history, which, with the other sciences, has laid aside the careless bungling medieval methods and builds its monuments of fame on the foundations of truth, not on legends," wrote journalist Alice Carman.

    Academic text (2018)
  • As a dedicated hero worshiper, she collects books about her favorite historical figures.

  • Many people become hero worshipers when they idolize athletes for their achievements.

Synonyms

admirer
vshero worshiper
113 2.3

A person who likes and respects someone, often in a romantic way

is stronger and often excessive or uncritical admiration rather than normal liking
fanboy
vshero worshiper
  • Slang
27 7.3

A man who likes a film, game, or show so much he defends it strongly

is broader and applies to any admirer regardless of gender or subject
superfan
vshero worshiper
  • Informal
4 4.1

A person who really loves and supports a singer, team, or show

can involve blind adoration rather than merely enthusiastic support
worshiper
vshero worshiper
  • US
4 4.7

A person who admires someone so much they ignore their faults

is similar but can be less absolute in ignoring faults
idolizer
vshero worshiper
  • US
7.4

A person who likes someone too much and ignores their faults

is often strong admiration that may still allow some criticism
adulator
vshero worshiper
  • Formal
8.6

A person who praises someone too much to get something in return

is excessive admiration without implying insincerity or selfish motive
iconophile
vshero worshiper
9.9

A person who loves famous people and keeps things like autographs

is not limited to famous figures and often implies uncritical admiration
glorifier
vshero worshiper
6.2

A person who praises something and makes it seem very good

is more about admiring a person intensely rather than only praising them

Antonyms

33 7.1

A person who says bad things about someone or something to make them seem less good

How Admiring

idolater
4 9.7
hero worshiper
5.4
devotee
25 6.0
fan
1.0
admirer
113 2.3

Surface Forms

Morphology

hero + worshiper

The meaning is directly predictable from combining 'hero' (a celebrated person) with 'worshiper' (someone who admires or reveres), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a person who admires or idolizes heroes. This compound follows a common, cross-linguistic noun + agent pattern and is therefore transparent to B1 learners.

Etymology

Hero worshiper comes from the picture of fans treating a famous person like a god, with hero as the admired person and worshiper as someone who worships them. So today it means someone who 'admires' or 'idolizes' a person too much.