IDOLATRY Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

idolatry

noun

ī-ˈdä-lə-trē

Definition of idolatry

as in worship

excessive admiration of or devotion to a person fans of the team are well known for their idolatry of the quarterback

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of idolatry Sometimes it has been connected with Catholic nationalism; at other times it has been promoted as the opposite — as an antidote to the idolatry of the state. — ABC News, 10 June 2026 The two groups displayed a large balloon near the mall of a Trump-like golden calf, a biblical reference to idolatry. — Tiffany Stanley, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026 Leo used his homily at Mass in the Monaco stadium to do just that, urging the faithful to reject the type of idolatry that has enslaved people in cycles of war and injustice. — Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026 As a cipher, the Discobolus can either represent Pollak’s humanistic ethos of a cosmopolitan society or the idolatries of Hitler’s blood-and-soil fascism. — Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for idolatry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for idolatry

Noun

Hegseth has infused his evangelical Christianity into his leadership of the Pentagon, hosting Christian worship services for employees and often speaking of the United States as a Christian nation.

— Tiffany Stanley, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
For the first time in 25 years, the number of people attending in-person worship in the US has increased, according to a new study from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research.

— John Blake, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of worship

Noun

And yet, when Szumowska and Englert portray Fyodor’s reaction to the couple’s pregnancy, the birth of their child, and a subsequent tragedy, Anna’s adoration for this utterly flawed man almost feels justified.

— Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
So, too, do the antics of his estate manager (a buoyant Sam Adegoke), always concocting money-making schemes, and the wide-eyed adoration of the girl next door (Amelia Mason, deftly balancing naïveté with seductiveness), who wants to save him.

— Rhoda Feng, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of adoration

Noun

They may have been kept open throughout the year for rituals commemorating important dates and festivals, as well as the worshipping of the dead.

— Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026
This, too, is a marvel of the modern Jewish state – the unusual multitasking of commuting and worshipping.

— Ben Corn, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of worshipping

Browse Nearby Words

idolatries

idolatry

idolization

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“Idolatry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idolatry. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of idolatry

noun

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