Synonyms of adore

adore 1 of 3

verb (1)

ə-ˈdȯr 

1

as in to love

to feel passion, devotion, or tenderness for

an attentive, solicitous husband who clearly adores his wife

Synonyms & Similar Words

• love
• cherish
• fall for
• carry the torch (for)
• worship
• idolize
• carry a torch (for)
• idealize
• revere
• lose one's heart (to)
• adulate
• venerate
• reverence
• canonize
• deify
• delight (in)
• dote (on)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hate
• despise
• loathe
• detest
• abhor
• dislike
• antagonize
• displease
• abominate
• disapprove (of)
• execrate
• revolt
• repel
• turn off
• sicken
• disgust
• repulse
• disfavor
• nauseate

2

as in to like

to love or admire too much

adores her older sister so much that she cannot see her considerable faults

Synonyms & Similar Words

• like
• worship
• idolize
• revere
• appreciate
• prefer
• hero-worship
• cherish
• adulate
• dote (on)
• regard
• deify
• canonize
• treasure
• respect
• favor
• value
• fancy
• venerate
• prize
• approve
• esteem
• endorse
• support
• hallow

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hate
• despise
• dislike
• loathe
• detest
• abhor
• disdain
• abominate
• disparage
• put down
• belittle
• deprecate
• misprize

3

as in to venerate

to offer honor or respect to (someone) as a divine power

the Roman soldier was beheaded for adoring the Christian god

Synonyms & Similar Words

• venerate
• worship
• revere
• reverence
• admire
• love
• honor
• praise
• respect
• glorify
• deify
• regard
• please
• exalt
• dignify
• extol
• delight
• laud
• gratify
• lionize
• magnify
• satisfy
• apotheosize
• canonize

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• violate
• desecrate
• blaspheme
• offend
• ridicule
• insult
• scorn
• profane
• outrage
• slight
• dishonor
• displease
• disparage
• disrespect
• affront
• libel
• smear
• pique
• defame
• slander
• malign
• slur

4

as in to enjoy

to take pleasure in

I adore those earrings—wherever did you get them?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• enjoy
• love
• like
• savor
• relish
• admire
• rejoice (in)
• delight (in)
• get off (on)
• take to
• appreciate
• fancy
• go for
• revel (in)
• revere
• get a kick out of
• dig
• groove (on)
• have a soft spot for
• prefer
• venerate
• treasure
• cherish
• be partial to
• worship
• drink (in)
• value
• prize
• idolize
• cotton (to)
• feast (on)
• devour
• eat (up)
• dote (on)
• indulge (in)
• favor
• wallow (in)
• luxuriate (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hate
• dislike
• loathe
• detest
• abhor
• despise
• condemn
• abominate
• scorn

adoring

2 of 3

adjective

ə-ˈdȯr-iŋ 

1

as in loving

feeling or showing love

adoring grandparents who love to spoil their grandchildren

Synonyms & Similar Words

• loving
• affectionate
• devoted
• passionate
• warm
• fond
• caring
• doting
• compassionate
• tender
• fervent
• friendly
• kind
• tenderhearted
• impassioned
• understanding
• romantic
• ardent
• forgiving
• infatuated
• amorous
• erotic
• considerate
• lovesick
• humane
• warmhearted
• cordial
• sentimental
• amatory
• enamored
• motherly
• fatherly
• brotherly
• sappy
• sisterly
• mushy
• lovey-dovey

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• indifferent
• aloof
• distant
• detached
• unloving
• dry
• pitiless
• uncaring
• remote
• antisocial
• cool
• unbending
• reserved
• standoffish
• unfeeling
• frosty
• disaffected
• unconcerned
• offish
• uninvolved
• unfriendly
• cold
• hard-hearted
• frigid
• ruthless
• cold-eyed
• callous
• heartless
• soulless
• unsentimental
• unromantic
• cold-blooded
• hard-boiled

2

as in affectionate

reflecting great admiration or devotion

the adoring attention of the girls' gymnastics team when our local Olympic hero spoke to them

Synonyms & Similar Words

• loving
• affectionate
• worshipful
• worshipping
• appreciative
• adulatory
• deifying
• idolizing
• reverent
• reverential
• respectful
• hagiographic
• fond
• deferential
• venerating
• approving
• glorifying

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hateful
• contemptuous
• scornful
• disapproving
• loathing
• condemning

adoring

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of adore

1

as in worshipping

to feel passion, devotion, or tenderness for

an attentive, solicitous husband who clearly adores his wife

Synonyms & Similar Words

• loving
• worshipping
• cherishing
• falling for
• carrying the torch (for)
• carrying a torch (for)
• adulating
• idolizing
• idealizing
• revering
• losing one's heart (to)
• reverencing
• canonizing
• venerating
• deifying
• doting (on)
• delighting (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hating
• despising
• detesting
• loathing
• abhorring
• antagonizing
• displeasing
• disliking
• execrating
• abominating
• disapproving (of)
• repelling
• sickening
• revolting
• disgusting
• nauseating
• repulsing
• turning off
• disfavoring

2

as in liking

to love or admire too much

adores her older sister so much that she cannot see her considerable faults

Synonyms & Similar Words

• worshipping
• liking
• idolizing
• adulating
• deifying
• canonizing
• revering
• doting (on)
• hero-worshipping
• appreciating
• cherishing
• regarding
• valuing
• respecting
• preferring
• treasuring
• favoring
• venerating
• esteeming
• fancying
• prizing
• approving
• endorsing
• hallowing
• supporting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hating
• despising
• disliking
• disdaining
• detesting
• loathing
• abhorring
• disparaging
• belittling
• abominating
• deprecating
• putting down
• misprizing

3

as in venerating

to offer honor or respect to (someone) as a divine power

the Roman soldier was beheaded for adoring the Christian god

Synonyms & Similar Words

• worshipping
• venerating
• revering
• reverencing
• admiring
• praising
• honoring
• loving
• respecting
• deifying
• glorifying
• regarding
• exalting
• extolling
• pleasing
• dignifying
• delighting
• lauding
• lionizing
• gratifying
• canonizing
• apotheosizing
• magnifying
• satisfying

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• violating
• desecrating
• blaspheming
• insulting
• ridiculing
• offending
• scorning
• profaning
• dishonoring
• outraging
• disrespecting
• slighting
• displeasing
• disparaging
• affronting
• smearing
• slandering
• maligning
• defaming
• slurring
• piquing
• libeling

4

as in enjoying

to take pleasure in

I adore those earrings—wherever did you get them?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• enjoying
• loving
• savoring
• liking
• relishing
• admiring
• fancying
• taking to
• rejoicing (in)
• grooving (on)
• going for
• getting off (on)
• appreciating
• delighting (in)
• reveling (in)
• digging
• revering
• getting a kick out of
• worshipping
• venerating
• having a soft spot for
• valuing
• treasuring
• cherishing
• idolizing
• being partial to
• preferring
• devouring
• eating (up)
• drinking (in)
• feasting (on)
• prizing
• doting (on)
• favoring
• indulging (in)
• luxuriating (in)
• cottoning (to)
• wallowing (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hating
• disliking
• detesting
• loathing
• abhorring
• condemning
• despising
• scorning
• abominating

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb adore differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of adore are reverence, revere, venerate, and worship. While all these words mean "to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully," adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment.

we adored our doctor

When could revere be used to replace adore?

The words revere and adore can be used in similar contexts, but revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling.

a professor revered by her students

When can reverence be used instead of adore?

While in some cases nearly identical to adore, reverence presupposes an intrinsic merit and inviolability in the one honored and a similar depth of feeling in the one honoring.

reverenced the academy's code of honor

When would venerate be a good substitute for adore?

The meanings of venerate and adore largely overlap; however, venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age.

heroes still venerated

When is worship a more appropriate choice than adore?

In some situations, the words worship and adore are roughly equivalent. However, worship implies homage usually expressed in words or ceremony.

worships their memory

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of adore

Verb

Coco adores people, greeting them with little chirps and melting with affection. —Maryanne Dell, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026

Chuck Norris, the martial artist and action movie icon whose toughness became an increasingly exaggerated legend among his adoring fans, has died. —Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026

Adjective

Having a constant loving, happy, and adoring presence makes Kirk’s solo road trips feel far from lonely. —Outside Online, 29 Aug. 2024

In Australia, where Abacus sold the rights to SBS, the critical reception was similarly adoring, and Acorn TV has rights in the U.S. and Canada. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 July 2024

Verb

This is a true Kouri, a devoted wife and adoring mother. —ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026

Toward the end, Chino started feeling the rock & roll energy and leapt offstage, crowd-surfing into adoring fans. —Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2026