adulation

noun

ad·​u·​la·​tion ˌa-jə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce adulation (audio)
-dyə,
-də-
: extreme or excessive admiration or flattery
Celebrities often feed off the adulation of fans, but that acclaim can be fleeting and illusory.Ruben Castenada
During the campaign, he basked in the adulation of his fans and emphasized the promises that drew the biggest applause and the most retweets …Peter Coy
… she thought he'd be an egomaniac, spoiled by fame and public adulation.Maureen Callahan
… is only starting to reach the level of popular and critical adulation that bands work their entire lives to achieve …Steve Kandell
He had not fully understood his achievement until he returned home to an outpouring of adulation from local media.David Müller
adulate
ˈa-jə-ˌlāt How to pronounce adulation (audio)
-dyə-
-də-
transitive verb
adulated; adulating; adulates
adulator noun
adulatory adjective
adulatory crowds

Did you know?

If adulation makes you think of a dog panting after its beloved person, you're on the right etymological track; the word ultimately comes from the Latin verb adūlārī, meaning "to fawn on" (a sense used specifically of the affectionate behavior of dogs) or "to praise insincerely." Adulation has been in use in English since the 15th century. The verb adulate, noun adulator, and adjective adulatory later followed dutifully behind.

Examples of adulation in a Sentence

The rugby player enjoyed the adulation of his fans. a writer who inspires adulation in her readers
Recent Examples on the Web Country fans put him at the center of the genre — perhaps partly as protest — through sheer force of adulation. Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024 But what happens when Alam relinquishes power and chooses the love of one man over the adulation of many? Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 The adulation, though, runs both ways, since Bay Area residents have always taken a shine to the genre. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2024 Soaking in the adulation of his fans, Mr. Armstrong was now a parody of a crypto bro — a guy who spent a lot of time thinking about Lamborghinis. David Yaffe-Bellany, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024 But the quest for celebrity and popular adulation also led him into some embarrassing moments, in particular a 1972 interview with the Italian writer Oriana Fallaci. Thomas W. Lippman, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023 Bette Midler at Harvard On Feb. 17, 1976, Midler basked in the adulation from cheering fans in a parade leading to Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she was named the Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year. Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 1 Dec. 2023 He was received with adulation, but also drew notes of skepticism. Dan Kaufman, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2023 Rock stars may revel in wild expressions of adulation. Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 20 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'adulation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English adulacioun "insincere praise, flattery," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin adūlātiōn-, adūlātiō, from adūlārī "to fawn upon (of dogs), praise insincerely" (of uncertain origin) + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

Note: On the presumption that it is a denominal verb, Latin adūlārī has been compared with Sanskrit vāla-, vāra- "hair of a horse's tail, horsehair," Lithuanian valaĩ "horse's tail," though this is difficult both semantically and phonetically. More recently, the base of Latin avidus "greedy, eager" has been proposed as a source (see avid), via a prefixed *ad-awido-, syncopated to *ad-audo-, then with the second d dissimilated to l, yielding *adūlo-, "eagerly seeking something, flattering."

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of adulation was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near adulation

Cite this Entry

“Adulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adulation. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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