ADULATE Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

adulate

verb

Definition of adulate

as in to adore

to love or admire too much it's ridiculous how she adulates that airheaded rock star

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to congratulate

to praise too much a business executive who unwisely surrounds herself with incompetent assistants who spend all their time adulating her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of adulate Venice pressers tend to fall on the warm/adulating side but this was clearly a film with plenty of admirers. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2026 Greenery becomes an artful layer, softening the building and giving it a sense of (literal) grounding that tech-adulating blobitecture often lacks. — Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Turkey’s TB2s became adulated in Ukraine for striking Russian tanks advancing on Kyiv at the start of that war in early 2022. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for adulate

Verb

The two shared a friendship adored by fans, often seen greeting each other with an affectionate kiss on the lips whether on TV programs or on the red carpet.

— Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2026
Stewart was adored by his collaborators and the public alike.

— Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of adore

Verb

Don’t ‘Bless Texas’ Killing Machine’ In his November 4 letter, Hood began by congratulating Hinojosa on her historic victory.

— Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026
Instead, the union congratulated the mayor-elect and said its president, Ricky Mendoza, had reached out to establish a dialogue with her.

— Teresa Liu, Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of congratulate

Verb

Pantone, a universal system for accurately specifying colors, and worshipped by designers and printers around the world, sells a straightforward ruler ($29).

— Nicholas Blechman, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2026
Stevie Wonder wanted to talk with me, the little boy who worshipped his music straight into adulthood?

— Kevin Powell, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of worship

Verb

And several places in the state’s mountains were praised for their fall foliage, CharlotteFive previously reported.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 12 Nov. 2026
Jim praised the company's efforts to keep prices down for consumers battling the elevated costs of everyday items from groceries to gasoline.

— Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of praise

Verb

And Democrats of all stripes, the ones that Faiz likes, the one that Lis likes, and any in between, were the happy beneficiaries of it.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2026
Others don't like the implication that the event is somehow a ruse to meet a significant other, rather than a way to just meet people in general.

— Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of like

Verb

Everyone in the audience was laughing and applauding, thinking Molière’s intense coughing fit was comedic gold, until their laughter turned to horror.

— Gates McFadden, Variety, 2 Nov. 2026
Fans applauded while a tribute video that the Pelicans produced for McCollum played on the videoboards above the court.

— Brett Martel, AJC.com, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of applaud

Verb

These women, now widely commended for their bravery, were indirectly found through the tireless work of investigative reporters at Channel 4 and The Sunday Times.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2026
Alexis and Nic Peart diverted their dog walk to listen to speeches commending the commode that will now sit across the street from their home.

— Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of commend

Verb

The result is sometimes overpraising, overprotection, and overindulging children, mixing emotional intensity with economic privilege in ways that breed entitlement.

— Christine Michel Carter, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
As in the case of that picture, East of Eden is backed up by masterful screen storytelling that can hardly be overpraised and is complicated by no message that can be termed controversial.

— Jack Moffitt, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2023

Definition of overpraise

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“Adulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adulate. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of adulate

verb

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