idolize

verb

idol·​ize ˈī-də-ˌlīz 

idolized; idolizing

transitive verb

: to worship as a god

broadly : to love or admire to excess

… the common people whom he so idolized.

—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

intransitive verb

: to practice idolatry

idolization

ˌī-də-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

idolizer

ˈī-də-ˌlī-zər 

noun

Synonyms of idolize

• adore
• worship
• like

Examples of idolize in a Sentence

an actor who is idolized by millions

she blindly idolized her older sister, refusing to acknowledge any of her faults

Recent Examples on the Web

Messi, who is idolized in Argentina, has never played professionally in his home country. — ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026

Reading the book feels refreshing — a clarifying antidote to a culture increasingly obsessed with idolizing and leveraging suffering. — Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Fothergill, who grew up in Minnesota idolizing Moss, said his partner held his own on the water, using forward-facing sonar to locate fish sitting 70 to 90 feet deep. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2026

Like most wide-eyed tennis players with dreams of going pro, Navarro grew up idolizing Williams, 44. — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for idolize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize
• butterflies

Kids Definition

idolize

verb

idol·​ize ˈīd-ᵊl-ˌīz 

idolized; idolizing

: to worship as an idol : love or admire too much

idolization

ˌīd-ᵊl-ə-ˈzā-shən

noun

idolizer

ˈīd-ᵊl-ˌī-zər 

noun