idolize
verb
idol·ize
ˈī-də-ˌlīz 
idolized; idolizing
: to worship as a god
broadly
: to love or admire to excess
… the common people whom he so idolized. —
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
: to practice idolatry
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
But as a kid who grew up idolizing Michael Jordan in the ’90s, Graham still felt this moment meant something more — to himself, to his family and to basketball as a whole.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
The Liberty, who won the 2024 WNBA championship, are led by a trio of veteran superstars in two-time MVP Breanna Stewart, 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones and four-time All-Star Sabrina Ionescu, players that most of Connecticut’s young talent grew up idolizing.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Towns grew up idolizing Magic Johnson.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Growing up in Harlem, Quié idolized Gabriel, the son of sharecroppers and one of twenty kids.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for idolize
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.
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
The Liberty, who won the 2024 WNBA championship, are led by a trio of veteran superstars in two-time MVP Breanna Stewart, 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones and four-time All-Star Sabrina Ionescu, players that most of Connecticut’s young talent grew up idolizing.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Towns grew up idolizing Magic Johnson.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Growing up in Harlem, Quié idolized Gabriel, the son of sharecroppers and one of twenty kids.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for idolize
Cite this Entry
“Idolize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idolize. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
idolize
verb
idol·ize
ˈīd-ᵊl-ˌīz
idolized; idolizing
: to worship as an idol : love or admire too much
idolization
noun
ˌīd-ᵊl-ə-ˈzā-shən
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
