hero-worship
verb
he·ro-wor·ship
ˈhir-(ˌ)ō-ˌwər-ship 
hero-worshipped also hero-worshiped; hero-worshipping also hero-worshiping; hero-worships
: to feel or express deep respect for (a hero)
also
: to admire (someone) excessively or foolishly
hero-worshipper
noun
Examples of hero-worship in a Sentence
people who hero-worship celebrities are setting themselves up for disappointment
a golfing pro who is hero-worshipped by hordes of weekend duffers
Recent Examples on the Web
The main story is about a boy (Bodhi Dell) who hero-worships his self-destructive father (J. Alphonse Nicholson).
—
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
That Jesko then resists hero-worship of her, especially as the documentary is produced by Walters’ longtime home ABC News, where Jesko herself has worked, is all the more impressive.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 12 June 2025
In an accompanying statement, Yungblud said that the record explores the theme of hero-worship.
—Thomas Smith, Billboard, 6 May 2025
There’s a kitschy, romantic, hero-worshipping nostalgia to the image, as if Norman Rockwell had undergone a lobotomy.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2025
Machismo is another one of these elements as the doc repeatedly shows a star matador and his hero-worshipping entourage.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2025
The film’s gaze is arguably as mocking as it is dazzled — with the macho posturing and hero-worship of Roca Rey a tacit source of comedy — while Serra, living up to his reputation for challenging arthouse fare, doesn’t flinch in his presentation of animal abuse and suffering.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Sep. 2024
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Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
That Jesko then resists hero-worship of her, especially as the documentary is produced by Walters’ longtime home ABC News, where Jesko herself has worked, is all the more impressive.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 12 June 2025
In an accompanying statement, Yungblud said that the record explores the theme of hero-worship.
—Thomas Smith, Billboard, 6 May 2025
There’s a kitschy, romantic, hero-worshipping nostalgia to the image, as if Norman Rockwell had undergone a lobotomy.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2025
Machismo is another one of these elements as the doc repeatedly shows a star matador and his hero-worshipping entourage.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2025
The film’s gaze is arguably as mocking as it is dazzled — with the macho posturing and hero-worship of Roca Rey a tacit source of comedy — while Serra, living up to his reputation for challenging arthouse fare, doesn’t flinch in his presentation of animal abuse and suffering.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Hero-worship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hero-worship. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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